Feminist Backlash Against Sydney Sweeney's Ad Reveals Selective, Politically-Motivated Outrage
Source: Sarah Kendis. "Sydney Sweeney Ad Backlash Exposes The Naked Hypocrisy Of Feminists." September 18, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that people criticizing Sydney Sweeney's racy sports betting ad are hypocrites because they cheer on OnlyFans and sex work as 'empowering' but suddenly object when a conservative-coded woman does something similar. She also argues these same critics have ignored the more serious problem of male athletes competing in women's sports, suggesting their outrage is more about politics than genuine concern for women.
Conclusion
Feminist critics who condemn the Sydney Sweeney/Novig ad for objectifying women or harming female athletes are being hypocritical, since they routinely celebrate other forms of female sexualization (OnlyFans, porn, sex work) and have largely stayed silent about male athletes competing in women's sports—a genuinely more damaging issue for female athletes.
Premises
- The same feminist commentators who criticize this ad have praised or defended OnlyFans, pornography, and sex work as forms of female empowerment.
- Female athletes and commentators expressed outrage that the ad 'sets back women's sports' or disrespects female athletes, calling it degrading or infuriating.
- These same athletes and feminist voices have been largely silent about biological males competing in and dominating women's sports divisions (citing examples like Lia Thomas, Olympic boxing, and AB Hernandez).
- The ad does not actually advertise or reference women's sports at all, undermining claims that it specifically harms female athletics.
- Unlike male intruders in women's sports, Sweeney's ad did not cause any woman to lose a title, medal, or competitive opportunity.
- The outrage appears tied to Sweeney's political image (perceived as conservative/MAGA-associated) rather than principled concern about female objectification.
- If a larger or non-white woman, or someone politically left-coded, had done the same ad, it would likely be praised as body positivity rather than criticized.
Assumptions
- That the individuals criticizing the ad are the same people, or representative of the same ideological group, who have praised OnlyFans/porn/sex work as empowering.
- That silence or lesser public outcry about trans athletes in women's sports from these critics reflects hypocrisy rather than differing priorities or separate advocacy focuses.
- That political identity (perceived conservatism) is the primary or sole driver of the backlash, rather than genuine concerns about sports sponsorship norms or context.
- That consistency requires equal outrage across all issues touching 'women's bodies' or 'women's sports,' rather than allowing for differentiated concern based on distinct policy stakes.
- That the causal comparison between an objectifying ad and male participation in women's sports is a fair equivalence for judging moral outrage.
- That feminists as a monolithic group share the same views and priorities, allowing individual inconsistency to be generalized to 'feminism' as a whole.