Comedian Bill Maher mocked ‘online social justice girls’ in a blistering monologue slamming criticisms of Sydney Sweeney‘s new ‘great jeans’ advert.
The talk show host waded into the controversy surrounding the actress in his latest episode of ‘Real Time’, slamming liberals for overreacting to Sweeney’s new advertising campaign for American Eagle jeans.
Sweeney made a pun about her ‘good genes/jeans’ in the promo, which created a media firestorm as some accused the clothing company of suggesting that Sweeney’s ‘good genes’ was her whiteness.
But Maher disagreed, saying in his monologue: ‘She talks about the fact that she has blue eyes, and then she says, ‘I have great jeans’… Ya know, because she’s wearing jeans.’
‘According to the woke people – this means that she’s a white supremacist,’ Maher continued.
‘It also doesn’t help that her bra size is 36KKK.’
The comedian confessed that the marketing team at American Eagle ‘should’ve been aware’ when they wrote the ad that backlash could ensue, but argued that the company ‘didn’t do it on purpose.’
Maher also didn’t hesitate to take shots at ‘online social justice girls’ who believed there was ‘no such thing as good genes.’
Bill Maher defended American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney as the left ridiculed the advertisement for undertones of white supremacy
Sweeney’s American Eagle ad declared that she has ‘great jeans/genes,’ which many argued had racist undertones
Maher defended the ad as a play on words for ‘jeans/genes’ and mocked ‘online social justice girls’ as hypocrites for criticizing Sweeney
‘Right – and then you go on Tinder and swipe left on every bald guy,’ Maher said sarcastically.
‘America,’ he concluded with an exacerbated sigh.
The segment went viral on social media, with many praising Maher’s candor, while others claimed the comedian went too far.
‘Hahahaha. He nails this one,’ one social media user commented on X.
‘Okay that was funny,’ another confessed.
‘I don’t find that funny at all. It’s rather crude and creepy to be honest,’ a third added.
‘Bill Maher’s got some fire in his belly tonight, and I’m here for it. The woke mob needs a good roasting every now and then. But let’s be real, 36 KKK? That’s just low,’ a fourth commented.
Sweeney’s American Eagle ad became the viral story of the week, creating a worldwide debate over the nuances behind the phrase, ‘great genes.’
In a video advertisement for the campaign, the camera pans close to Sweeney as she buttons up her American Eagle jeans.
‘Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color… my genes are blue,’ Sweeney says before looking to the camera.
She continues: ‘My body’s composition is determined by my genes…’ before exclaiming: ‘Hey, eyes up here’ as the camera cuts back to her face.
Maher’s blistering, sarcastic monologue generated mixed reviews online as some praised his comments, while others argued he went too far
Sweeney’s ad campaign sparked a media firestorm over the underlying messages
Critics of the ad pointed to the historic connotation behind the phrase, linking ‘great genes’ to celebrating whiteness, thinness, and conventional attractiveness, a report in Salon argued.
The company responded to the backlash with a statement that read: ‘”Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” is and always was about the jeans’.
‘Her jeans. her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone’.
Sweeney has yet to comment on the controversy, but shared a cryptic post on Instagram of a photo of pink roses with a white heart sticker.
