Dr. Phil Defends Sydney Sweeney Against ‘Outrage’ Over Jeans Ad

Talk show host vows to support actress, slams Holocaust comparison as ‘insult’

Talk show veteran Dr. Phil McGraw has strongly criticized the backlash surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney‘s viral American Eagle “Great Jeans” advertisement, calling the criticism “ridiculous.”

“Good Genes” Ad Sparks Controversy

During a recent appearance on “Real Time,” Dr. Phil expressed his dismay at those who have likened the ad, which plays on the phrase “good genes,” to the Holocaust. He labeled such comparisons an “absolute insult” to the millions of victims of the genocide.

“For people to go crazy over that ad and to, to say that they say she’s got good genes, and for them to say that’s the equivalent of the Holocaust, that this is the same as all of that, is an absolute insult. Six million people were killed, six million. Jews were massacred and murdered, and they equate that to a blue jeans ad for a Hollywood actress?”

—Dr. Phil

McGraw declared his intention to purchase pairs of the jeans for every female member of his family as a gesture of support for Sweeney.

Maher Criticizes Media’s Reaction to Sweeney’s Politics

The discussion followed comments from show host Bill Maher, who had previously addressed the media’s handling of Sweeney‘s political affiliation. Maher criticized the reporting that treated her Republican identity as a scandal.

In 2024, a survey by Pew Research Center found that approximately 10% of adults aged 18-29 identified as Republican, while a larger proportion identified with other political leanings (Pew Research Center).

Maher noted that while Sweeney was “exposed” as a Republican, such a label should not be considered a slur. McGraw agreed, stating that political identity should not be offensive regardless of geographic location.

McGraw elaborated that in Hollywood, identifying as Republican can be perceived as a slur, a stark contrast to more common acceptance in regions like the Midwest.