Sydney Sweeney has made a fast and furious rise to fame in recent years, notably catalysed by her role as Cassie Howard in the hit HBO TV show Euphoria and her impressive versatility showcased in the white lotus as Olivia Mossbacher. Demonstrating remarkable talent and range, Sweeney has garnered a devoted following due to her ability to captivate her audience. However, she has amassed a predominantly male fanbase due to many of her roles involving slight nudity.
Sydney Sweeney’s allure is undeniable, she perfectly encapsulates the idealistic “girl next door” that resonates with right wing American men. She’s pretty, blonde, and curvy, and in true “girl next door” nature, she grew up humbly next to a lake and has a whole TikTok account dedicated to fixing up old vintage cars which she posts on in her free time. She encapsulates the “cool girl” whilst still looking like a Barbie, reminiscent of Cameron Diaz in Charlie's angels.
Often likened to Marilyn Monroe for her magnetic sex appeal and star quality, Sweeney exudes a bubbly, feminine charm that appeals to many. However, it's crucial to recognize that her appeal extends far beyond her physical attributes. While society may have pigeonholed her as merely a "pretty blonde," reducing her to her sex appeal, this oversimplification does her a disservice. Sweeney's multifaceted talent and charisma deserve recognition beyond superficial stereotypes, as she navigates the pressures of an industry that often prioritises image over substance.
For instance, when Sydney Sweeney appeared on Hot Ones, the podcast known for interviewing celebrities while they eat spicy wings, her Instagram caption for the promotion was simply, "This is for the Boys." It's evident that she understands her audience and knows how to engage them, leveraging her platform to generate income. Arguably, she holds significant power in this dynamic, representing a radical feminist stance by mastering a successful acting career and public platform amidst a predominantly male fan base.
However, as history has shown with past stars like Megan Fox post-Transformers and Pamela Anderson, the excessive sexualisation of a persona, even when the celebrity actively participates in the narrative, can lead to a retreat from the spotlight and contribute to mental strain and serious health issues. This parallel can also be drawn to Sydney's doppelgänger, Marilyn Monroe, whose over-sexualisation took a toll on her well-being.
Sydney's appearance on Saturday Night Live further ignited feminist discussions that have surrounded her since her breakthrough role in Euphoria, notably addressing director Sam Levinson's tendency to feature her nude in numerous scenes. The tone-deaf writing on SNL likely reflects the collective oversight of the show's writing team, as evidenced by past instances such as the Timothee Chalamet debacle.
Feminist advocates call for a more inclusive and empowering portrayal of women in the media, advocating for a shift away from objectification toward highlighting women's talents, skills, and accomplishments. They stress the importance of diverse representation, celebrating women of all body types, backgrounds, and abilities for their contributions rather than reducing them to sexual objects.
The feminist discourse surrounding Sydney Sweeney's SNL performance underscores the pressing need for more thoughtful and respectful depictions of women in media, moving beyond superficial sexualisation to embrace their multifaceted identities and agency.
One of the first lines in her monologue at the start being “Weirdly, a lot of my fans are men…hmm…I wonder why?”, as if their intention was to make her seem dumb or unaware of her appeal.
The series of sketches depicted her in multiple situations, most controversially, as a Hooters waitress, in the crop top and shorts uniform, pouring beer whilst giggling and flirting with her male customers. Vanity Fair spoke on the scene saying “Saturday Night Live did Sydney Sweeney dirty” and continued to say “Is the Euphoria star funny? We don’t know, because all SNL had her do was be young and beautiful.” Viewers even took their distaste for the show to social media, stating “this entire episode was just about objectifying Sydney Sweeney”.
A lot more controversy came after the show, with men objectifying her on social media for her outfits worn on the show, and faced further objectification from multiple men who openly identify as white supremacists. “Wokeness is dead”, one user of X, formerly known as Twitter, posted, alongside a crass close up of Sweeney’s chest, to which someone rightfully added “Men will say ‘The woke liberal agenda is dead’ and it’s just Sydney Sweeney with cleavage. They just can’t be normal about women can they.”
Many other right-wing users took Sweeney’s self-depreciating humour too literally, and she’s now being adopted by far-right conservatives and straight-up fascists as their new mascot.
I think as a whole a lot of the rage coming from viewers surrounding Sydney’s appearance on SNL was in a protective nature, seeing these men and boys treating her body like a piece of meat or like it’s up for public discussion just instils rage in anyone without brain worms.
Society needs to make a greater effort to protect female actors, as well as other conventionally attractive celebrities like Jacob Elordi, who have faced similar objectification and online harassment as Sydney Sweeney. These actors possess talents and abilities beyond their physical appearance, but unfortunately, our society often prioritises conventional beauty, leading to their fame being primarily based on looks.
Regarding SNL, there's significant room for improvement in their writing department. The show's scripting for Sweeney was criticised as shallow and sexist, while Timothée Chalamet's inappropriate comments about Hamas on the same episode further added to the controversy. Hopefully, these incidents will serve as a wake-up call for SNL to exercise greater care and sensitivity in their future writing endeavours.
Sydney Sweeney SNL YouTube
I loved this article. As a big fan of Sydney, I think it is a shame she is being used as 'anti-woke' canon fodder for just simply existing.