Recently, Tim Burton came into the line of fire after an interview with Bustle. Not that it’s uncalled for. In the interview Burton said some things about the lack of diversity in his movie. In this day and age diversity is something that Hollywood has been called out for, time and time again. Lack of diversity sparked outrage this year at the Oscar’s, with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite trending. Yet when Burton was asked about the diversity, or the lack of it to be more precise, in his new film “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” he stated his reason like any other white privileged male would.

Burton stated that “things either call for things, or they don’t,” meaning he doesn’t really see the point in having a diverse cast. However diversity is something Burton doesn’t know at all, considering the fact that he has the same two white actors in all his movies; one of which is abusive. His movies have always been amazing, with unusual characters and shocking plot lines, yet the casts of his movies have all been white. The only notable exceptions being “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” and “Planet of the Apes” (2001). In “Planet of the Apes,” Burton cast African-Americans, but they all were apes.  Now in “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” the only African-American person is a villain who kills children.

Having a white cast is very common, but we’re in 2016, a year where diversity has become more and more sought out. For Burton to say that his movies don’t call for a diverse cast, is an insult to people of color who actively search for diversity in the media. Diversity is a huge issue to most people of color. We want someone to look at on the big screen. We need the diversity of our modern world to be reflected on our movie screens.

Burton further explains himself, not very well I may add, by talking about the show “The Brady Bunch.” “I remember back when I was a child watching The Brady Bunch and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a black. I used to get more offended by that.” For those who don’t see the problem in his statement, allow me to break it down for you. Burton is admitting that he gets offended by diversity. Who even does that? Who is so privileged that they get offended by diversity?

Movie directors are very influential in Hollywood. They bring characters to life, from their own imagination and from books. Which is what many hoped Burton would do with “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” And he did, for the most part. It was just the fact that fans of the book series wanted a diverse cast in the movie. Directors are put in a position where they can allow the diversity of our modern world to reflect on our movie screens. Burton is an amazing movie director, that is a given, but to be honest this interview left a bitter taste in my mouth for Burton himself and his movies.