There's a criminally underrated song on an Ariana Grande album circa 2019 that begins by paraphrasing what Neil Armstrong said after first touching down on the moon: "One small step for woman, one giant leap for woman-kind." For some reason, a version of the phrase was my first thought upon seeing photos of Sydney Sweeney's space-themed birthday party. Allow me to paraphrase the paraphrased: One small party for woman, on giant loss for humankind.
Over the weekend, as the music industry celebrated talent at the MTV VMAs and the fashion world has been gearing up for NYFW, some of Hollywood's finest flew to Canada to attend the Toronto International Film Festival, including Natalie Portman, Jodie Foster, and Cillian Murphy. While several attendees tore it up on the red carpet, it was Sydney Sweeney's bustier numbers (yes, plural) that now live in my mind rent-free.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
At the core, Labubu and Sydney Sweeney aren't radically new; they're evolutions of age-old marketing patterns. History is repeating itself. Labubu mirrors the Beanie Babies craze of the '90s: collectible, emotionally charged, and driven by hype cycles.
"Even after working on a hit HBO show, which did allow her to buy a house in LA, money was tight. They don't pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals."
"Sydney Sweeney's recent participation in an American Eagle commercial sparked a bizarre controversy, connecting her brand partnerships to heated cultural debates and social media frenzy."
During an online moment, Trump praised Sydney Sweeney as a registered Republican and celebrated her 'HOTTEST' ad, leading to a significant increase in the company's stock.