Sydney Sweeney’s recent American Eagle jeans ad has unexpectedly fueled a viral TikTok phenomenon. The advertisement, which featured the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” sparked debate over its wordplay. Now, the phrase has begun appearing alongside sorority recruitment clips, giving rise to the “good genes” TikTok trend.
Sorority TikTok trend takes over amid Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad controversy
The annual wave of “Rushtok” videos has returned to the social media platform, showcasing the energy and traditions of sorority recruitment across the United States. This year, the TikTok trend has attracted additional attention due to the appearance of the phrase “good genes” in several viral clips. It all started as a lighthearted display of coordinated outfits, chants, and behind-the-scenes moments.
The discussion began after actress Sydney Sweeney appeared in an American Eagle jeans ad with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” The phrase plays on the words “great genes,” which has sparked significant backlash online. Many people condemned the advertisement for its racial undertones.
Soon after, sorority rush clips — often showing blonde, blue-eyed women doing coordinated dances — began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) with “good genes” captions. Supporters called the videos “classic American” and “wholesome.”
One user posted a clip with the caption, “Sorority sisters with good genes at the University of Oklahoma are getting geared up for rush with some cute and fun country dancing. They’re happy, wholesome, and classic America. Nothing is more triggering to leftists.”
Meanwhile, another post reads, “BREAKING: Great Genes are BACK in still in the Golden Age of America. Sororities around the country are going viral posting videos of ‘Good Genes.’”
However, there is little evidence that “good genes” is an official sorority rush trend. For example, one widely shared video from the University of Oklahoma’s Chi Omega originally featured a country-style “Head Over Boots” event with no reference to the phrase. Many captions referencing Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle jeans ad appear to have been later added by social media users.
