Two weekends ago, “Euphoria” actress Sydney Sweeney attended a 60th birthday party for her mother, Lisa.
What seemed like an innocent country hoedown became controversial once photos were posted on social media by both Sweeney and her brother, Trent.
In these photos, Sweeney is seen with her parents, while her father wears a Blue Lives Matter shirt. In other photos posted by her brother, other family members are shown donning red “MAGA”- style hats.
Fans have been experiencing mixed feelings, with some saying that Sweeney did nothing wrong, but others saying that she needs to hold her family accountable for potentially hateful political ideas.
Despite what critics are expressing online, some students at Ohio University believe that Sweeney doesn’t deserve as much of the hate that she has been receiving.
Noa Rabkin, freshman studying film, just sees it as a family event.
“I guess it created some controversy, but I guess it wasn’t her fault,” she said. “She just wanted to celebrate her family.”
Sofie Wuertemberger, a freshman studying environmental studies and sustainability, also considers it to be a family matter.
“I have family that supports that and I’m not going to tell my 90-year-old grandma that I won’t go to her birthday party,” they said.
Much of the controversy seems to be coming from Sweeney associating herself with others that hold those views, not from her wearing the controversial clothing herself.
“I didn’t see her wearing any of that stuff,” Rabkin said.
At the same time, public figures are typically held to a different standard than other people.
“But also (Sweeney) has an audience– I don’t have an audience,” Wuertemberger said. “It’s a hard thing– it’s a very fine line that you’re walking.”
Oftentimes, many celebrities choose to remain more neutral when it comes to politics instead of risking their career to cancel culture.
“You kind of have to know what comes with that territory if you know you’re in the public eye,” Wuertemberger said
After facing backlash, Sweeney released a statement addressing the situation, but not apologizing.
Jordan Tabasky, a freshman studying music therapy, thinks that Sweeney should explain the situation on social media.
“I think that she should explain why everyone in her family supports that and maybe reassure everyone that she doesn’t have that view, but I don’t think that she should be the one apologizing,” she said.
Time will tell if Sweeney succumbs to cancel culture, but for now, her career still seems to be on track with successful projects like "Euphoria” and “The White Lotus.”
Even though there are many fans that disapprove of Sweeney and her family, there are still others out there who are willing to support her.
“I don’t see her differently; family can have different opinions than you,” Wuertemberger said.
