Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
8.7K
US Professor Explains Why Mary Poppins Is Racist, And Here Are The Top Internet Responses
Let me start by saying this: Racism is still a pressing and widespread phenomenon, one that is a stain on our society and should be confronted wherever it is found. That being said, the modern tendency to increasingly seek out racism in places where it likely doesn’t exist only trivializes the issue and insults the memory of those who have truly been affected by it.
RELATED:
Image credits: Disney
This story is being seen by some as a prime example of this. During the much-loved chimney sweep scene in the 1964 classic Mary Poppins, the nanny, played by actress Julie Andrews, dances and sings with soot smeared all over her face. Pretty normal stuff for a chimney sweep, right?
Image credits: pollackpelzner
Not according to Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, who sees something more sinister in the scene. “Instead of wiping it off, she gamely powders her nose and cheeks even blacker,” he wrote in a piece for the New York Times titled: ‘Mary Poppins,’ and a Nanny’s Shameful Flirting With Blackface.
Image credits: Disney
The article continues by highlighting racist tropes in the original Mary Poppins novel, written by P. L. Travers in 1934, and linking Disney’s history of “blackface minstrelsy” all the way up to the latest incarnation of the iconic nanny, Mary Poppins Returns.
Image credits: Disney
Of course, he is not wrong in this respect, the original novel and films are full of things that we would find ‘problematic’ in this day and age. But what’s the point? Social norms change over time, we all know that. In 1934 the Nazis were in power for god’s sake. Of course people had different attitudes towards race back then! Going back to try and ‘sanitize’ the past doesn’t achieve anything except deflect attention from real cases of injustice. If anything, exposing people to the prejudices of the old days shows how far we’ve come, even if there is still plenty of work to do. But let’s focus on the real issues, shall we?
Image credits: Disney
Most people reacted with a mixture of disbelief and mockery
Image credits: PeteBarronMedia
Image credits: Kimmiekie85
Image credits: Jessx90x
Image credits: blh2019
Image credits: diygurudave
Image credits: MissMalone2002
Image credits: socialmissfit3
Image credits: dAmAgEeFFeCt
Image credits: shriveledwevos
Image credits: wickedenchantme
Image credits: GunmamaQ000
What do you think ?
Roger Haywood 6 years ago
According to Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, getting dirty by being covered in soot is racist. He is an idiotic troll that needs to have his academic honours removed. This triggered PC nitwit is seeing racism where there isn't any.
Sansa Blacktyde 6 years ago
Yep -as some one already pointed out, he must be racist to see chimney soot as racist.
Load More Replies...
Notsoswift 6 years ago
Are Black people working as Bakers getting flour on themselves also racist?
Sansa Blacktyde 6 years ago
To be fair to D**k Van Dyke, he has apologised many times for his appalling attempt at a Cockney accent. 😂
Damien T 6 years ago
After I started studying sociology I started to notice so many themes commenting on society when re-watching my childhood movies. To me the film Mary Poppins, not the character, touches on class, capitalism, functionalism, and a tiny bit of feminism. But nothing about race! Just because it's old it doesn't mean it's completely behind!
Damien T 6 years ago
@Oki, nevermind Bill. I think he read the word feminism and freaked out.
Load More Replies...
Aunt Messy 6 years ago
The soot is indicative of freedom in the books. It's a departure from Victorian convention in the upper and upper-middle classes, where the ideal was a white-clad nanny presiding over the lives of passive, decorative children who live their lives in complete silence and being perfectly clean 24/7. ...///... The entire point of Bert and Mary's friendship is about crossing class lines and teaching children that class is less important than people.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
Good grief. Marry Poppins gets sooty from actual soot, around a chimney sweep. She sees that she is hilariously dirty, and instead of freaking out about it, she shrugs it off, has a little fun and dusts on a little more soot as if it was regular face powder. .... How is that in any way, shape or form, racist? This guy is just trying to be 'edgy' and 'profound', and is failing miserably. Instead, he only comes across as a profound idiot. It'd be great if people could stop crying 'racist' at the drop of a hat. Racism is a huge problem, and ridiculous c**p like this isn't helping people take it seriously.
mtvare 6 years ago
exactly! I was going to write same, this kind of people are discrediting whole job people did against racism, homophobia, women's rights etc. they are the worst enemies. and he is professor! how cold he even get that degree with that level of intelligence.
Load More Replies...
naomi Olumbori 6 years ago
I'm black, I never thought this scene was offensive.It's just soot! I actually found it funny when i was a kid. She ironically puts on soot on her face as if it was makeup XD. I'm impress how someone can be so easily butthurt.
ADHORTATOR 6 years ago
I heard about a theory that ca.10% of the members of any layer of society or group or profession are idiots... here is the proof
Roger Haywood 6 years ago
According to Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, getting dirty by being covered in soot is racist. He is an idiotic troll that needs to have his academic honours removed. This triggered PC nitwit is seeing racism where there isn't any.
Sansa Blacktyde 6 years ago
Yep -as some one already pointed out, he must be racist to see chimney soot as racist.
Load More Replies... Notsoswift 6 years ago
Are Black people working as Bakers getting flour on themselves also racist?
Sansa Blacktyde 6 years ago
To be fair to D**k Van Dyke, he has apologised many times for his appalling attempt at a Cockney accent. 😂
Damien T 6 years ago
After I started studying sociology I started to notice so many themes commenting on society when re-watching my childhood movies. To me the film Mary Poppins, not the character, touches on class, capitalism, functionalism, and a tiny bit of feminism. But nothing about race! Just because it's old it doesn't mean it's completely behind!
Damien T 6 years ago
@Oki, nevermind Bill. I think he read the word feminism and freaked out.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 6 years ago
The soot is indicative of freedom in the books. It's a departure from Victorian convention in the upper and upper-middle classes, where the ideal was a white-clad nanny presiding over the lives of passive, decorative children who live their lives in complete silence and being perfectly clean 24/7. ...///... The entire point of Bert and Mary's friendship is about crossing class lines and teaching children that class is less important than people.
Bunzilla 6 years ago
Good grief. Marry Poppins gets sooty from actual soot, around a chimney sweep. She sees that she is hilariously dirty, and instead of freaking out about it, she shrugs it off, has a little fun and dusts on a little more soot as if it was regular face powder. .... How is that in any way, shape or form, racist? This guy is just trying to be 'edgy' and 'profound', and is failing miserably. Instead, he only comes across as a profound idiot. It'd be great if people could stop crying 'racist' at the drop of a hat. Racism is a huge problem, and ridiculous c**p like this isn't helping people take it seriously.
mtvare 6 years ago
exactly! I was going to write same, this kind of people are discrediting whole job people did against racism, homophobia, women's rights etc. they are the worst enemies. and he is professor! how cold he even get that degree with that level of intelligence.
Load More Replies... naomi Olumbori 6 years ago
I'm black, I never thought this scene was offensive.It's just soot! I actually found it funny when i was a kid. She ironically puts on soot on her face as if it was makeup XD. I'm impress how someone can be so easily butthurt.
ADHORTATOR 6 years ago
I heard about a theory that ca.10% of the members of any layer of society or group or profession are idiots... here is the proof
You May Like 75 Disney Princess Quotes to Live By Do You Know The Answers To All These Disney Trivia Questions? 170 Disney Movie Quotes From Everyone's Favorite Films
Justina Čiapaitė
Eligijus Sinkunas
Miglė
Related on Bored Panda
54
69