The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has upgraded the age rating of the classic film Mary Poppins from U to PG, nearly 60 years after its original release. The decision was made due to the use of discriminatory language, specifically a derogatory term for the Khoikhoi people, an indigenous group from southern Africa.
The term in question, 'Hottentot', was used by the character Admiral Boom in the film. The BBFC noted that the word appears twice: first as a reference to people not on screen, and later in reference to the child stars when their faces are blackened with soot. The classification change applies only to the cinema version; home entertainment releases retain a U rating.
A BBFC spokesperson explained that research shows parents are concerned about children being exposed to discriminatory language that they might find distressing or repeat without understanding its offensiveness. The board stated that content with immediate and clear condemnation is more likely to receive a lower rating.
Mary Poppins is not the first classic film to be reclassified. In 2022, the BBFC upgraded Watership Down (1978) to PG due to violence, threat, and language, including a scene where a rabbit is told to 'piss off'. Similarly, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) was reclassified from U to PG for mild language, violence, and threat.
The BBFC considers factors such as dangerous behaviour, discrimination, drugs, sex, language, nudity, threat, horror, and violence when classifying films. Discriminatory language is deemed unacceptable unless clearly disapproved of, presented in an educational or historical context, or in a dated work with no likely appeal to children.
