British Film Ratings Board Decides 'Paddington' Has 'Innuendo,' Not 'Mild Sexual References'
The U.K. version of the MPAA stepped into a bear trap earlier this week when it issued its parental guidance advice on the upcoming big-screen version of Paddington. The group warned of “dangerous behavior, mild threat, mild sex references and mild bad language.” The Daily Mail immediately reached out to the 88-year old creator of the Paddington children’s book series, Michael Bond, who was scandalized by the news about his beloved bear’s movie debut. “I’d be very upset,” said Bond, who hadn’t yet seen the film. “I might not sleep well tonight. I can’t imagine what the sex references are. It doesn’t enter into it with the books, certainly.”
Well, set your minds at ease fellow marmalade lovers: The BBC is now reporting that after an official reconsideration, the British Board of Film Classification has downgraded the “mild sex references” to mere “innuendo.” (The source of both warnings was apparently one scene in which Mr. Brown, played by Hugh Bonneville, is dressed as a cleaning woman and gets hit on by another man.) “I was scratching my head thinking ‘What are the censors talking about?” Bonneville told the Beeb. “There were four- and five-year olds watching it the other day, laughing uproariously, so I don’t think it’s going to damage any young children — or indeed any 75 year olds.”
Watch a trailer for Paddington below:
