Sydney Sweeney’s Ad: An Insult To Women’s Sports?

American actress Sydney Sweeney is blowing up the internet today with her ad for Novig, a sports prediction platform. The ad was especially provocative because it shows Sweeney completely nude, with only equipment covering certain places.

Controversy

Sweeney's ad has created mass controversy among many advocates of women’s sports, with the criticism that it unnecessarily sexualizes the pursuit. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus, British track and field star Amy Hunt, and former gymnast Gracie Kramer have officially come out and spoken against the ad.

Other female athletes across social media have said that women have come so far with their achievements, just to make sports about their bodies again.

Interestingly, the criticism is not reserved to one side of the political aisle. Far-right pundits have interestingly sided with feminist athletes and argued that the sexualization and objectification of women is an unbiblical and unchristian worldview. Definitely a rare merging of two ideologies that usually find themselves in direct confrontation.

Monica Schipper, Getty Images

Sweeney’s Response

Instead of addressing the criticism straight up, Sweeney posted images from ESPN’s Body Issue, including images of athletes posing nude, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki.

Many women have come to Sweeney’s defense, saying it is about celebrating the power of the female body instead of using it in a degrading way.

Whatever the case, Sweeney is no stranger to controversy. Two years back, she appeared in an American Eagle jean ad with the play on words “Sydney Sweeney has great genes,” leading to criticism that she was promoting white supremacism. Unlike this prior case, she now finds herself with criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.