Nearly 60 years after its release, the iconic film "Mary Poppins" has undergone reclassification by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) due to its inclusion of discriminatory language, as reported by the BBC. Starring Julie Andrews in the lead role, the movie has been elevated from a U rating to a PG rating because of its use of the derogatory term "Hottentot," historically employed by white Europeans to refer to the Khoikhoi people of South Africa.

The offending term is uttered twice in the film by the character Admiral Boom: once in conversation with one of the Banks children and again to describe chimney sweeps with soot-covered faces. The BBFC explained that the decision was based on concerns raised by parents regarding the exposure of children to discriminatory language and behaviors that could be distressing or unwittingly repeated without understanding the harm it may cause.

A BBFC spokesperson highlighted the importance of content that clearly condemns such language, indicating that it is more likely to receive a lower rating. The rating adjustment only applies to the cinema version of "Mary Poppins," with the home entertainment versions retaining their U rating, according to the BBFC's classification.