“Mary Poppins” is apparently no longer practically perfect in every way.
The much-beloved Disney classic has been slapped with a ratings change in the U.K., losing its “U” rating for “universal” — the equivalent of a “G” rating in the U.S. — in favor of a “PG” rating, meaning parental guidance is suggested.
Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start”
Apparently, the 1964 film, headlined by Hollywood legends Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, includes two fleeting references to the “discriminatory” term “hottentot,” a spokesperson for the British Board of Film Classification told USA Today.
According to the Library of Congress, the word first came into use when the Dutch encountered the Khoikhoi people in the 15th century. The Khoisan language employs clicks to denote consonants, which was difficult for Europeans to understand. “Hottentot” is derived from a Dutch phrase that means “stutterer” and, as such, it became a moniker for those who lived in southwest Africa.
The now-slur was in common use from the 15th through the 19th centuries.
In the movie, Adm. Boom, played by actor Reginald Owen, twice employs the phrase, Sky News reported: once when he asked one of the children, Michael, if he was going on an adventure to
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