The UK’s advertising watchdog is investigating the “objectification and sexualisation of women in ads” because of an “increasing political and public debate” driven by “offended” feminists on social media. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has already started banning ads featuring attractive women, that supposedly cause “offence, or harm”. Such censorship may now become routine, as the ASA claims it is “alive to changing attitudes and behaviours”. “Presenting an idealised or unrealistic body image, the mocking of women and men in non-stereotypical roles, the reinforcement of stereotyped views of gender roles, and gender-specific marketing to children are all issues that have gained considerable public interest,” the ASA claims. The development follows the controversy surrounding Protein World last year — a fitness company that put up billboards in London (pictured above) showing a woman in a bikini beside the words: “Are you beach body ready?” Feminist and so-called social justice warriors started an aggressive online campaign against the ads, which was picked up by the liberal media and more than 70,000 people signed a petition against them. However, only a handful turned out to protest in person, and the when the ASA investigated it concluded the ad was “unlikely” to cause “serious offence”. Nevertheless, following further