Katie Couric has a starring role in a new public service announcement encouraging colon cancer screenings — and it opens with a clever nod to Sydney Sweeney‘s controversial American Eagle ad.
The video begins with a sultry close-up of Couric, 68, lounging in a denim jacket with a seductive soundtrack.
As the camera pulls back, the scene takes a surprising turn. The famed TV personality is seen lying on a gurney, clad in a hospital gown from the waist down, as a medical team prepares her for a colonoscopy. “Speaking of genes,” Couric begins in a soft voice, “did you know that the majority of people who develop colon cancer are not genetically predisposed to the disease?”
“That’s why doctors recommend everyone 45 and older get checked,” she says, cheekily adding, “Mine are televised.” (It’s been 25 years since Couric became the first person in history to broadcast a colonoscopy on national television.)
The narrator then declares in a loud voiceover, “Katie Couric gets regular screenings.”
Couric’s ad is part of the Lead from Behind campaign initiative from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Maximum Effort, cofounded by Ryan Reynolds — a cause “near and dear” to her heart after the death of her late husband, Jay Monahan, from colon cancer in 1998. He was 42.
“I’m a grandmother now,” Couric told People, noting that Monahan “would’ve been a grandfather … my girls graduated from college and these huge life moments that he’s missed — I don’t want that to happen to other people.”
Couric and Monahan welcomed daughter Ellie in 1991 and daughter Carrie five years later in 1996.
“And so I think of him often, and think of other Jay Monahans that might be out there, whose lives I can potentially save with this information. So I feel such an obligation and a responsibility to do that,” she continued.
The colonoscopy PSA spoofed a summer American Eagle campaign featuring Sweeney, 28, which Couric told People “showed how pop culture and a pair of jeans could really shape the cultural conversation.”
She explained, “It was a moment in time, and we thought, ‘Why don’t we ride that horse a little bit longer and have some fun with it?’”
As Us Weekly previously reported, the AE denim ad sparked a debate about race and beauty standards due to its play on the word “genes.”
In the video campaign, Sweeney said, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
A rep for American Eagle defended the ad on August 1, declaring that it “always was about the jeans.” They added, “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
As for Sweeney’s reaction to the ordeal, a source exclusively told Us last month, “Sydney thinks this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. She’s focusing her energy on work, including being back on set with her Euphoria family.”