Sydney Sweeney Bikini Photos: The Internet’s Awful Reaction, Explained

Sydney Sweeney was spotted at the 2023 Met Gala in New York City. (Image credited to Theo Wargo/Getty Images for ... [+] Karl Lagerfeld)

Sydney Sweeney is one of the most prominent stars of our time. The actress has been featured in major productions like Euphoria and The White Lotus, and she was recognized as IMDB's most popular personality of 2024.

Despite her popularity, it appears that almost everyone in the spotlight faces harsh comments online—and Sydney Sweeney seems to endure even more negativity than others.

This discussion reached a boiling point recently as the actress faced a wave of backlash after photos of her in a bikini circulated online.

We won't be including the photos of Sydney Sweeney in this article since they seem to have been captured from a distance and without her permission. However, we do want to highlight a post the actress shared on her Instagram, where she addressed some of the hurtful remarks she encountered:

The response online to the Sydney Sweeney bikini pictures highlights how the internet can foster harmful behavior and normalize public humiliation, particularly towards celebrities.

Before we reach that stage, let's take a moment to examine what transpired in more detail.

Internet Reactions To Sydney Sweeney Photos

As we previously stated, we won’t be posting any additional negative remarks, aside from what the actor has already disclosed, or the bikini pictures that started it all.

It's clear that the individuals featured in the video are just a small part of a much larger issue. A glance at the comments beneath the initial posts of Sydney Sweeney's bikini photos shows an overwhelming number of people criticizing her looks and even questioning her worth as a person. The negativity was quite severe.

On a brighter side, after others on the internet noticed this reaction, they started to come to the actor's defense. This often included sharing well-known meme formats, like this screenshot from South Park:

Or sharing succinct observations that emphasize the truth about women putting on makeup and dressing up:

Or simply a feeling of outright rage about the situation:

These three posts that oppose the criticism of Sydney Sweeney's bikini pictures have amassed millions of views, and there are plenty more like them.

What sparked this whirlwind on the internet? What caused such a backlash?

Why Are Sydney Sweeney's Bikini Photos Controversial?

Sydney Sweeney isn't the only one facing body shaming on the internet. Many celebrities encounter this issue, highlighting a widespread problem in our online world today.

In the article titled “The Representation of Online Shaming in Modern News Media: A Media Framing Analysis,” Shannon Muir, Lynne Roberts, and Lorraine Sheridan explore the reasons behind incidents of public shaming in today’s society.

This quickly growing global trend can be seen as a type of social monitoring, fueled by what individuals online perceive as “alleged misdeeds.”

The writers propose that the growth of the internet and the simplicity of sharing content have led to many people engaging in social or peer monitoring as a form of regulating behavior.

In simpler terms, the internet has made it really easy to participate in shaming others.

This practice has been around for ages, but the authors of the study argue that the internet changes the game. They suggest that now, it’s not necessary for someone to actually commit a crime to face public shame. Instead, it’s enough for others to believe that they've done something wrong.

When people believe that someone is acting improperly, they often feel justified in criticizing and humiliating that individual.

Regarding the Sydney Sweeney bikini pictures, they looked at the candid, unedited shots in a negative light and attempted to criticize her for what they perceive as improper behavior.

But why is that? The profile of these aggressive commenters is quite intriguing, as most of them were men.

One significant factor may be the emergence of online communities of isolated men. In their research titled “The Rage of Lonely Men: Loneliness and Misogyny in the Online Movement of ‘Involuntary Celibates’ (Incels),” authors Ruth Rebecca Tietjen and Sanna Tirkkonen explore this phenomenon, including the concept of “ressentiment.”

In essence, ressentiment is a feeling of anger or bitterness that a person directed towards what they believe is causing their dissatisfaction.

The researchers explain that this process of resentment turns feelings of loneliness into hostile emotions towards women.

These clusters of isolated men create online spaces where, instead of finding support for their struggles, many end up feeling even more distressed about their situations. Within these loosely connected groups, they often point fingers at women as the reason for their failures in both personal and romantic aspects of life.

This results in a rise in misogyny, which can show itself in scenarios like the harsh response to Sydney Sweeney's bikini pictures.

It's possible that specific online communities, fueled by their own anger and isolation, believe they have the authority and duty to criticize individuals like Sydney Sweeney for what they see as their ethical shortcomings.

And that ethical misstep? Posing for a picture in a bikini.

It's not all negative, because, as we've observed, many parts of the internet rallied behind Sydney Sweeney's uniqueness. However, by that time, it was too late.

Although the online community supported the actor after the backlash, the cruel remarks achieved their goal: they aimed to humiliate Sydney Sweeney.

The harm had already occurred, and it was facilitated by an online platform that promotes and supports this kind of unfavorable response.