In a world where advertising trends seem to shift faster than you can say “wokeness,” there looms a tale of a young actress, Sydney Sweeney, who dared to enter the storm by starring in a recent American Eagle campaign. Her role? Simply to wear a pair of good ol’ blue jeans. The result? Why, it’s as if someone lit a match in a room full of outrage fuel. The ad did what ads have done since time immemorial: feature someone desirable to sell a product. Yet, somehow, it became a flashpoint in the cultural wars, sparking debates about race, beauty standards, and the supposed return of traditional advertising norms.

Now, one could assume this ad’s melodrama might’ve arisen from some unforeseen scandal, but no—it’s just about a beautiful blonde girl asserting her plot in the ad game’s classic equation. But for some, particularly those perpetually seeking a platform to air their grievances, this was just too reminiscent of a bygone era, a reminder of when ads didn’t have to try so hard to make a political statement or tick off every box in the inclusion manual.

As expected, the usual arguments erupted, with detractors claiming the ad promoted an unrealistic standard of beauty or, more dramatically, likening it to something out of an old propaganda playbook. Sydney’s bold return to the ad mainstream was wrongly equated with a cultural shift, inciting frothy fury among those offended by perceived aesthetics rather than just, oh, denim. But with all the noise, one can’t help but wonder, aren’t advertisements supposed to show something aspirational?

Interestingly, while some were busy penning tirades about oppression and beauty standards, the markets decided it was time to cheer. Sydney Sweeney didn’t apologize, and neither did American Eagle, standing tall amid the storm. The outraged voices seemed unable to pull the ad down from its denim pedestal, and instead, they handed it more publicity. The irony, right?

Here’s the kicker, though: often in these instances of public turmoil, you might expect apologies and recantations galore. But lo and behold, none of that materialized. Nope, the world continued to spin, and the ad remained in place. So for those livid critics who continue yelling into the abyss, maybe it’s time to look inward and see what truly irks them. Because let’s face it, sometimes the loudest critics are simply battling their reflections. At the end of the day, it’s a girl in jeans — a tale as old as time.