Mary Poppins— the 1964 Disney classic starring Julie Andrews— has been deemed potentially unsuitable for children by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) due to containing ‘discriminatory language’.
The iconic movie of Mary Poppins has shifted from having a U rating, indicating no material likely to offend or harm, to a PG (parental guidance) rating, signifying some scenes may not be suitable for young children. The new classification comes just a month before the film’s return to UK cinemas to celebrate its 60th anniversary, marking the BBFC’s first change to its rating since 1964.
The board stated the change was due to ‘discriminatory language’, although it did not provide further details on the words or language. However, the Daily Mail reported that the warning refers to the use of ‘hotentotes’ in the film; a term used to refer to the Khoekhoe, an indigenous ethnic group of South Africa. The term is now considered racially insensitive. In the movie, Admiral Boom, played by Reginald Owen, uses the term twice, including to describe chimney sweeps, whose faces are blackened by soot.
The media reached out to the BBFC for comments on the change in Mary Poppins’ classification. The BBFC stated that the lack of condemnation from the admiral was considered a reason to raise the age rating.
‘We understand from our research into racism and discrimination… that a key concern for… parents is the potential exposure of children to discriminatory language or behavior that they may find distressing or inadvertently repeat without realizing the potential harm,’ it explained.
This story was written in Spanish by Daniel Matute in Cultura Colectiva.
