Sydney Sweeney did it again

Sydney Sweeney and a new ad she stars in are at the centre of a controversy in the world of sports. The ad, which promotes a sports trading app called Novig, features Sydney, who appears completely nude for most of it, save for the coverage of sports gear – footballs, a helmet, a soccer ball, cleets, a glove, a golf club and so on, and of course, a cheeky pair of Novig boy shorts. While Sydney says the ad was about ‘embracing a fun idea to cut through the noise and put the focus back on sports’, others, including several female athletes disagree, saying the ad was a ‘kick in the face’.

Though the company has doubled down on their decision to work with Sydney, the fallout has continued, with many suggesting that her portrayal in the commercial strengthens how women are sexualized in sports, which takes away from their athletic capabilities and lifelong work and dedication to their sport.

Surfer Felicity Palmateer said the ad had her in ‘absolute disbelief’.

“How incredibly disappointing, like how far you can put women’s sports backwards in a 40 second commercial. The ad that we saw Sydney Sweeney do is very damaging, especially for young females. We wanna be valued for what we can do, not what we look like,” she said.

A series of female athletes took to social media to counter Sydney’s sexy portrayal, sharing photos and footage of them in action, instead. Amy Hunt, a British sprinter, spoke to the BBC after competing in the 200-metre final at the Ultimate Championship, saying:

“This is what women in sport look like.”

Gymnast Gracie Kramer also shared this reel of herself competing, highlighting the risk of using sex to bring male attention to women’s sports reverses some of the work athletes have been doing to create a shift in attitudes.

In response to the backlash, Sydney posted photos of female athletes like Serena Williams and Rhonda Rousey who had all posed nude for magazine covers, insinuating that if they had done it, why couldn’t she?

Her counterpoint seems to have fallen a bit flat, though, considering those women are actual athletes, and Sydney is, well, an actress. But that is precisely why people who disagree with the backlash say she shouldn’t be catching heat over deciding to appear in an ad for a sports betting company.

But this is much more than her just appearing in front of the camera and leaving with a cheque. According to sources, Sydney was heavily involved in the direction of the ad. The CEO of Novig told media outlets that she helped drive the visuals and the messaging – the aim of which was to spread the word about the company’s narrow focus on sports in a memorable and impactful way. There are also reports that she pitched herself to the company as a ‘strategic partner and equity holder’ in further collaborations. This highlights a lot of intention on her part.

Naturally, there’s a great deal of nuance – so it makes sense that it earned a segment on The View. The panel debated the topic, sharing their perspectives about whether the backlash against Sydney is warranted. Anna Navarro brought up an interesting point in saying that Sydney has ‘figured out the formula’ of making money through rage-bait, essentially, with her history of controversial ads. But it was Sara Haines professing her issue with the fact that ‘sex and celebrity are being used to normalize gambling’ which points to the larger issue at hand.

To Anna’s point, Sydney has had great success in creating contentious ads. And despite the backlash we’ve seen in the past, it has never been substantial enough that we’re not guaranteed to see her in some other contentious ad later on down the road. We know that Sydney is going to do what Sydney needs to do to secure the bag – and some people admire that about her.

But Sara’s point about how sex and celebrity is being used to normalize gambling is a perspective worth exploring. Because gambling is becoming a huge problem – and it has been for a while.

Just this week, a letter was sent to gambling regulators in 35 states. The letter was sent on behalf of the NFL, MLB, the NBA, Major League Soccer and the NHL. It also represented the players associations of each league. The letter asked that better protections be put in place for players and staff alike who face vitriol, threats and harassment from people who bet on sports. It asked that rules be put in place to remove betting privileges for those found to have threatened or “abusively harassed” professional or amateur athletes, coaches, officials or team personnel, citing “the escalating threat facing professional players, coaches, and officials, the continued harassment and violent threats from sports bettors.”

The alarms have been sounding about the impact and dangers of sports betting, particularly on young men under the age of 21, for quite some time. Earlier this year, a national survey found that youth exposure risk to betting was becoming a public concern. According to the study, younger adults reported even higher rates of early sports betting and online casino play before age 21 compared to older generations. The survey found that 33% of 21–44-year-olds placed a sports bet before 21, versus 11% of those aged 55 and over. 

“Youth are at significantly greater risk for developing gambling problems, and as gambling becomes increasingly normalized in media, sports, and online spaces, the risks grow,” said Heather L. Maurer, the Executive Director of NCPG. “Prevention and education are essential to ensure young people, families, educators, and policymakers understand the potential harms and are protected from early exposure.”

All of this highlights not only the efficacy of this ad, but the danger of it. How else do you appeal to young men than by putting a sexy, sultry Sydney Sweeney clothed with nothing but sports equipment in front of them? And once you reel these men in, you’re setting the stage for the type of addiction that the National Council on Problem Gambling found nearly 8 in 10 Americans believe is as serious or more serious than other types of addiction, such as alcohol or drug dependency.

The crux of the issue seems to lie somewhere in the in between. Somewhere between Anna and Sara’s perspectives. Yes, Sydney is using her sexuality to make money, which she has every right to do. She has indeed cracked the code when it comes to generating attention to companies and their problematic commercials by means of rage-baiting the audience. But by that same token, the people who have taken offense to the ad also have every right to be. Primarily because this is their domain. This is their 9-5. And perhaps they know the dangers of gambling.

But to Sara’s point, this is larger than just a commercial that people are at odds over. We face a much larger issue of what it means when sex and celebrity are used to promote and encourage gambling – and what it means when some of the world’s biggest celebrities are willing to ruffle feathers, take their clothes off and become the face (and bodies) and even collaborative partners of companies creating campaigns that can cause irreparable damage to people, all in the name of amassing more wealth.

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