Burton is correct that tokenism is not a quick fix to solve the diversity problem in media. But The Brady Bunch was on the air from 1969 to 1974, when conversations about race in Hollywood were virtually nonexistent. We've come a long way since then, and our benchmark for on-screen diversity has risen considerably. It's fine that Burton wasn't outraged by the lack of white people in blaxpoitation movies ('70s films explicitly made for Black audiences); in fact, it would be absolutely ridiculous if he were.

Burton's latest work, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, is indeed predominantly white. But it represents relative progress, given that Samuel L. Jackson — who plays the villain, Barron — is the first lead actor of color in a Burton film. When Bustle asked Jackson about this, he admitted, "I had to go back in my head and go, how many Black characters have been in Tim Burton movies?" But he also defended the director. "I don’t think it’s any fault of his or his method of storytelling, it’s just how it’s played out."

Assuming Burton continues his prolific career as a talented filmmaker for years to come, he'll have plenty of opportunities to change his flawed perspective on one of the most impactful issues in his industry. Here's hoping he takes them.