'Mary Poppins' film will not be suitable for all UK audiences due to 'discriminatory language'

Mary Poppins. (Image: Jyotika)

If you think of any one of the most legendary musicals of the 1960s, you'll probably do so with… Julie Andres in the head. The actress shines Smiles and tearsbut also Mary Poppins, in which she played the magical nanny who came to the Banks' home to teach the children, but also to make the parents feel like children again. Well, this film, which was well regarded and held up as an example of family cinema, was also subjected to public scrutiny and new age demands.

Because the British censorship decided to change the film's classification 60 years after its release. All this because Mary PoppinsThe classic film, starring Julie Andrews, contains “discriminatory language.” The 1964 film was re-rated from U (Universal) to PG (PG). directed parenting, . In it, the derogatory term originally used by white Europeans to refer to nomads in southern Africa is used to refer to soot-faced chimney sweeps. The BBFC said this “beyond our guidance” in relation to U.S. films.

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The specific term is Hottentot, which refers to an indigenous tribe in South Africa. It is a term historically used by Europeans to refer to the Khoikho, the indigenous nomadic pastoralists of southern Africa. Today, use of the term Hottentot has fallen into disuse and is considered derogatory; The preferred name of the non-Bantu-speaking indigenous people of the Western Cape is Khoikhoi (formerly Khoikhoi). However, it is a term that can no longer be changed or deleted from some films and other audio-visual works, such as Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins (Credits: Disney)

In the film, Admiral Boom, played by Reginald Owen, Banks' neighbor and a Navy veteran who is believed to still be in command of the ship, uses the term on two occasions. To his father. The British Board of Film Classification claims to have classified the film in 1964 and then again for its re-release in 2013.Most recently, the film was returned to us in February 2024 for theatrical release again, and we have re-rated it PG for discriminatory language.“, commented one of her spokespersons.

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“Although the movie Mary Poppins has a historical context, the use of discriminatory language is not condemned and ultimately exceeds our guidelines for acceptable language at the U. Therefore, we have rated the film PG for discriminatory language.” According to him Oxford English Dictionary, the term referring to which is considered “outdated and generally offensive”. The BBFC says its research into racism and discrimination shows that a major concern for people, especially parents, is “the potential to expose children to discriminatory language or behavior which they may find distressing or repeat without realizing the potential offense”.

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