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The age rating for 1964’s “Mary Poppins” has been raised in the United Kingdom due to “discriminatory language.”
On Friday, the British Board of Film Classification increased the Disney film’s film rating from U, meaning it did not contain “material likely to offend or harm,” to PG for “discriminatory language.”
In a statement to Variety, a BBFC spokesperson said the film “includes two uses of the discriminatory term ‘Hottentot’.”
“While ‘Mary Poppins’ has historical context, the use of discriminatory language is not condemned and ultimately exceeds our guidelines for acceptable language at the University,” the spokesperson said. “That’s why we rated the film PG for discriminatory language.”
The word is a racially insensitive term for the Khoekhoe, an indigenous group in South Africa. The BBFC further explained that the word is used in the film by Admiral Boom (Reginald Owen), even when referring to chimney sweeps whose faces are covered in soot.
“We understand from our research on racism and discrimination, and from recent research on classification guidelines, that a key concern for people, particularly parents, is the possibility of exposing children to discriminatory language or behavior that they may find distressing or repeat without realizing the possible crime. ”the BBFC spokesperson continued.
“Therefore, some languages or behaviors are not allowed in the U or PG under any circumstances, or depend entirely on the context,” they said.
The original “Mary Poppins” starred Julie Andrews as the magical nanny and Dick Van Dyke as her sidekick Bert. The cast also included David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher and Ed Wynn.
The film was an immediate phenomenon upon its release and has since been adapted into a hit Broadway musical and given a sequel, “Mary Poppins Returns,” in 2018. Emily Blunt played Poppins alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw , Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. Van Dyke appeared in the sequel as Firth’s character’s uncle.