Sydney Sweeney And Zendaya Are Both Slammed By Critics For Drastically Different Reasons

Summary

• Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney face different media treatment based on acting and political beliefs.
• Sweeney is criticized for her body, while Zendaya has faced racism in the industry.
• Zendaya is a fashion icon, while Sweeney struggles to find designers that fit her body.

While HBO's Euphoria has launched the careers of several of its cast members, there's no doubt that Sydney Sweeney is the biggest breakout star. The level of her fame rivals even that of Zendaya, who has made a whopping net worth after a lengthy time in the spotlight. Despite Zendaya's high-profile relationship with Tom Holland and an assortment of lucrative movie salaries, Sweeney is by far the most talked about in the press. In fact, the obsession the media and die-hard fans have with Sweeney is almost contagious.

That's not to say that Zendaya isn't the source of endless conversation and controversy. But, fans have noticed a distinctive difference in the way the media and critics treat Zendaya and how they treat Sweeney. This article will delve into the differences noticed in how Sweeney and Zendaya are praised and critiqued for their acting, how the media treats their perceived political leanings, and how the Anyone But Your star faced body shaming for her breasts while the Dune: Part 2 actor experienced horrible racism.

Zendaya Is Praised For Her Acting Work While Sydney Sweeney Faces Critics

Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney have a lot of similarities beyond the fact that they are both stars of HBO's Euphoria, which was based on an Israeli show of the same name. Both grew up in lower-middle class families and both became the breadwinners of these families after financial struggles. Of course, unlike Zendaya, Sweeney was bashed for discussing her own financial struggles in Hollywood. The pair are also praised as actors. Zendaya is almost always praised by critics even though Sweeney has also been nominated for Emmys for her work in Euphoria and in The White Lotus. Sweeney has been the target of numerous forms of slander, specifically targeted at her acting. This includes April 2024's story of producer Carol Baum calling Sweeney "talentless" and "ugly".

• Sydney Sweeney is 26 and Zendaya is 27

Much of the difference between how the media treats Sweeney and Zendaya's acting abilities stems from variations in their career choices. Zendaya has been in massive blockbusters such as the Dune and Spider-Man movies, but she's also done a ton of independent films. No matter if the film is praised or not, Zendaya usually gets a call-out for her ability... and rightfully so. Sweeney, on the other hand, makes just about every type of film and TV show. Yet, critics still debate whether or not she can act.

In a superb article by The Daily Mail about how Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney are treated by the media, film expert Ryan Toomey claimed that Zendaya's ability is never questioned, regardless of whether or not the project is good. However, Sweeney's acting ability is often debated when a project performs poorly, such as 2024's Madame Web. Yet, she is not as often praised for her stellar work in The White Lotus, The Handmaid's Tale, Euphoria, and the independent film, Reality.

As Toomey explained:

"While not every role Sydney takes will add to her growing collection of Emmys, her talent cannot be disputed, and her acting skills are quickly pinning her as Hollywood's new darling, able to garner the adoration of rom-com lovers, teen drama addicts, horror film buffs and even Tarantino fans alike."

He then blamed Madame Web's failure on the director and said that her 2023 rom-com, Anyone Buy You, though successful, should not be seen as Sweeney's "defining role".

In contrast, Zendaya's 2024 film The Challengers had critics calling her "devastatingly cool". The Times critic called Zendaya's performance, "faultless".

Some of the criticism that Sweeney gets may have something to do with the amount of naked/intimate scenes she has done. Sweeney herself has claimed that the scrutiny these scenes garner is unfair as men in Hollywood never face the same for the equivalent.

Sydney Sweeney Has Been Blasted For Being Conservative While Zendaya Was Praised For Being Liberal

No matter one's political affiliations, there's no doubt that the entertainment media leans more left-wing than not. Therefore stars who have voiced more conservative leanings, or even moderate ones in the day and age of 'woke culture', face more scrutiny. This is backed up by The Hollywood Reporter who have documented conservative-leaning films that have faced backlash. Additionally, it's backed up by The Hill who stated conservative stars don't tend to be praised by the media nowadays. Another example is how Sydney Sweeney has been bashed for her connection to former President Donald Trump.

Despite never voicing any political opinion whatsoever, Sydney Sweeney was nearly canceled after an alleged 'Trump-themed' party she threw her mother. Numerous fans were furious to see 'Make 60 Great Again' red hats at a country-themed party Sweeney threw for her mother in 2022. While it does seem as though many in Sweeney's family lean conservative, there's absolutely no evidence to suggest she is a Trump supporter. Regardless, Sweeney was unfairly criticized by the press for the slightest possibility that she may have beliefs contrary to the popular narrative... Despite the fact that at least half of the United States do not identify as liberal, Democrat, or woke, according to The Harvard/Harris Poll

Zendaya, on the other hand, is helped up as a Gen-Z darling. While she hasn't expressly endorsed a political candidate, she has been critical of Donald Trump and encouraged young people to 'use their voice', according to Entertainment Weekly. But by Sweeney remaining natural and staying out of an area she is not an expert in, many have rallied against her and attempted to cancel her altogether.

The obsession with Sydney Sweeney's curvy body has also been called "the death of woke culture", according to an incredibly popular piece by Amy Hamm in The National Post. In the article, Hamm wrote: "We've spent years being chastised for desiring or admiring beauty – because beauty is rare and exclusionary, and to exclude is to hate – or so we've been scolded to accept by today's diversity, equity, and inclusion fanatics. We aren't supposed to admire Sweeney's beauty; but we've done it anyways. The times, they are a-changin'."

Zendaya Has Faced Racism And Sydney Sweeney Has Faced Body Shaming

In truth, both Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney have been body-shamed by the media and mean TikTokers. Zendaya's body was slammed for being "too skinny", according to The Daily Mail. Sweeney, on the other hand, has been called ugly. On one famous occasion, this led Sweeney to break down on Instagram Live after "Sydney Sweeney Is Ugly" trended on Twitter (now 'X'). Yet, at the same time, both women are held up by many for being two of the most attractive stars of their generations.

One major difference between how they are criticized, however, is the fact that Zendaya has faced racism. On numerous occasions, the Black Dune: Part 2 star has faced horrendous racism. This includes how terribly internet trolls treated her when she was cast in Disney Channel's Shake It Up at the age of 13. When Zendaya was 18, she posted a picture of her parents which was also called 'ugly' online.

The scandal caused her to publicly state the following:

"While you're so concerned about what my parents look like, please know that these are two of the most selfless people in the world."

Perhaps Zendaya's most famous encounter that was widely deemed 'racist' was when former Fashion Police star Giuliana Rancic claimed that Zendaya's dreadlocks in 2015 likely smelled like "patchouli oil or weed".

The comment caused a massive controversy that ended up in Rancic apologizing and Zendaya accepting said remorse. But not before saying the following:

"To say that an 18-year-old young woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or "weed" is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive."

In 2018, Zendaya acknowledged her privilege as a "light-skinned Black woman" and claimed that her experience has not been as bad as some of her "darker sisters and brothers".

"Can I honestly say that I've had to face the same racism and struggles as a woman with darker skin? No, I cannot."

While Zendaya's looks have been harshly criticized, the media still treats her body differently than Sweeney's. Especially in the fashion world.

Zendaya Is A Fashion Icon While Sydney Sweeney Finds It Hard For Designers To Dress Her Body

Sydney Sweeney's famous body has also caused her problems on the red carpet. Mostly because many designers won't adjust their clothing to fit her breasts, according to The Daily Mail. This has led her to have more cleavage on the red carpet and face scrutiny for it. Contrarily, Zendaya is a Fashion Week icon who often reps many of the biggest designers in the world.