America has been turned upside down by an American Eagle jeans ad. A single campaign, starring Sydney Sweeney, has provoked an extended conversation about race, beauty, politics, Donald Trump, and sexuality.

The American Eagle campaign, with its presentation of Americana as a zombie slop of mustangs, denim, and good genes, is lowest-common-denominator stuff.

American Eagle Outfitters has a message to its critics, who took issue over its ad with 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney that sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards.