MovieChat Forums > Mary Poppins (1965) Discussion > Today's s PC corrected version

Today's s PC corrected version


I recently was at HMV in London's Bond Street intending to acquire the DVD, since it is one of my Disney's favourites of all time. But while examining the back of the case, I saw the notice "This DVD does not contain any offensive or abusive language" -something I had never seen before regarding a Disney classic. I thought then back for a moment of any scene in Mary Poppins where "offensive or abusive language" had taken place, and certainly couldn't remember any at all. Nevertheless, I took the hint and didn't buy the DVD. I decided to play the illegal way instead, and downloaded the film from the Internet in Spanish version, 1960s original dubbing -we didn't beat around the bush with cotton-wool pads in those days, we didn't. Eventually I found out where the "offensive and abusive language" may lay: when the gang of chimney-sweepers are gaily dancing and singing over the rooftops of London, Admiral Boom sees them through his looking-glass and then shouts to his assistant something like "There's a bunch of Huguenots ahoy! Load the cannon and blow the buggers up!!"...
I guess the scene has been totally cut out from the US and UK DVD editions, and if not so then the dialogue has been replaced by some level-acceptable sentence for two-year-olds, of the sort "I say, let's give those naughty boys a jolly good scare!".
I am glad I didn't buy the DVD.
They are totally killing cinema.


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Interesting! I looked into this briefly. The Admiral says that they are being attacked by Hottentots. An appropriate use of the word for the time (1910), but could be seen as being derogatory today. Hottentots was another name for a group of peoples from southern Africa. When the chimney sweeps were jumping around all covered in soot, well, I suspect this led to the Admiral's politically incorrect comment.

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Unless they were upset about the word "buggers." (as in "buggery") -- but I think you are correct.

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I don't like Hottentots. I'm glad the Admiral shot rockets at the buggers!

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