One Disney film no longer suitable for all audiences is Mary Poppins. Deadline reports the musical classic has been deemed potentially unsuitable for children by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which recently increased the age rating because of “discriminatory language.”
Mary Poppins is being re-released in select UK cinemas next month to celebrate the film’s 60th anniversary, which prompted the BBFC to upgrade its classification for the first time since 1964. The film was initially U-rated, which classifies it as containing no material likely to offend or harm, to PG (parental guidance), meaning some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
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The Daily Mail reported that the warning is because of the word “Hottentots,” a word that is now regarded as racially insensitive. “Hottentots” was used by Europeans to refer to the Khoekhoe, a group of nomadic herders in South Africa. Reginald Owen’s Admiral Boom uses the term twice in Mary Poppins, including using it to describe chimney sweeps, whose faces are blackened with soot.
The organization said in a statement to Daily Mail: “We understand from our racism and discrimination research… that a key concern for… parents is the potential to expose children to discriminatory language or behaviour which they may find distressing or repeat without realising the potential offence.”
The film stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut. Her character visits a dysfunctional family in London and helps to change the family’s dynamic for the better with wit and music.
Mary Poppins earned $31 million in the United States and Canada during its initial run, becoming one of the 12 grossing films in the United States. It was re-released in 1973 to celebrate Walt Disney Productions’ 50th anniversary, earning an estimated additional $9 million in the United States and Canada.
