Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has stated that it will be cracking down on adverts depicting “gender stereotypes”. Though the liberal British political establishment is all for the advertising ban, conservatives like member of the European Parliament, David Campbell-Bannerman have expressed concern that it is a form of thought-policing.
In Britain, the war on traditional gender roles as well as the nuclear family is fueled by a new proposed ban on “harmful” advertisements depicting “gender stereotypes”. The Advertising Standards Authority has launched a crusade of political correctness, citing companies like “Protein World” in the fitness industry as their primary target because they portray thin, fit women as role models in their advertising. They claim that adverts such as this, which actually depict fit women exercising, are responsible for creating eating disorders and health problems and therefore should be banned. What right do these bureaucrats have to censor a private businesses advertisement?
“Our review shows that specific forms of gender stereotypes in ads can contribute to harm for adults and children. Such portrayals can limit how people see themselves, how others see them, and limit the life decisions they take. Tougher standards in the areas we’ve identified will address harms and ensure that modern society is better represented.” says Emily Smillie, who led the report supporting the ASA’s advertisement ban.
Via Breitbart:
In a press release issued Tuesday, the regulator’s chief executive, Guy Parker, said: “Portrayals which reinforce outdated and stereotypical views on gender roles in society can play their part in driving unfair outcomes for people. While advertising is only one of many factors that contribute to unequal gender outcomes, tougher advertising standards can play an important role in tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for individuals, the economy and society as a whole.”…
The BBC cites Protein World’s “Beach Body” advert of 2015, which has already been banned by London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan due to sexual imagery.
Adverts which could be banned in future, the ASA suggests, include:
- An ad which depicts family members creating a mess while a woman has sole responsibility for cleaning it up;
- An ad that suggests a specific activity is inappropriate for boys because it is stereo-typically associated with girls, or vice-versa;
- An ad that features a man trying and failing to undertake simple parental or household tasks.
Conservative Member of the European Parliament David Campbell-Bannerman called the move “worrying”, likening it to thought policing:
V worrying @ASA_UK seeks to socially engineer advertising: taste & decency yes; not sinister thought police please https://t.co/8DwgkVsNqG
— David C Bannerman (@DCBMEP) July 18, 2017
