# Sydney Sweeney's Nude Betting Ad Sparks Feminist Hypocrisy Debate

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/sydney-sweeneys-nude-betting-ad-sparks-feminist-hypocrisy-debate
- Published: 2026-09-19T13:11:15.615741+00:00
- Topics: sydney-sweeney, advertising, wnba, gender, sports-betting, culture-war

## What the left says
- The ad has nothing to do with women's sports; Sweeney is not an athlete and never claims to represent one, so criticism should focus on what the ad actually does rather than what it symbolizes.
- The real objection is that the ad sexualizes Sweeney herself for a male-dominated betting audience, using her body to sell a product, not that women are portrayed as athletes.
- There's a fair critique of selective outrage on all sides: some feminists who defend sex work and OnlyFans as empowering are now uncomfortable with this ad, which invites a closer look at what actually constitutes exploitation versus choice.
- Female athletes voicing discomfort are not being hypocritical for wanting their accomplishments seen separately from a soft-core betting commercial that trades on titillation rather than athletic achievement.

## What the right says
- Sweeney willingly drove the ad's concept and visuals herself, according to the Novig CEO, undercutting claims that she was exploited or coerced.
- Athletes criticizing the ad as harmful to women's sports are being called out as hypocritical, especially those who have posted similarly revealing content promoting themselves.
- The ad is explicitly a gambling promotion aimed at a majority-male audience and was never intended to represent or comment on female athletes, so treating it as an attack on women's sports misreads its purpose.
- The backlash reveals a double standard: content celebrated as empowering when tied to progressive causes suddenly becomes objectifying when the woman involved is perceived as conservative or apolitical.

## Common ground
- The Novig ad was designed to draw attention and drive engagement with a majority-male sports betting audience.
- Novig's CEO stated the company never intended the ad to represent or comment on women's sports.
- Sweeney has a pattern of provocative marketing campaigns, including her American Eagle jeans ad and Dr. Squatch promotions.
- Multiple female athletes publicly objected to the ad, prompting a broader debate over its impact on how women in sports are perceived.

## Sources
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/sophie-cunningham-sydney-sweeney-ad) (Right)
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/charles-barkley-wnba-trans-race) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunningham-picks-a-side-on-sydney-sweeney-nude-ad-controversy) (Right)
- [National Review](https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/09/sydney-sweeney-manages-to-clear-up-the-sports-worlds-gender-confusion/) (Lean Right)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2026/09/18/sophie-cunningham-stomps-out-the-fake-outrage-over-sydney-sweeneys-naked-ad-why-are-girls-mad-n2207084) (Unknown)
- [Slate](https://slate.com/life/2026/09/sydney-sweeney-ad-sports-novig-commercial.html?via=rss) (Lean Left)
- [The Federalist](https://thefederalist.com/2026/09/18/sydney-sweeney-ad-backlash-exposes-the-naked-hypocrisy-of-modern-feminists/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sydney-sweeney-ad-backlash-exposes-the-naked-hypocrisy-of-modern-feminists) (Right)

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