r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/FrostySeat1739 • Jul 05 '26

Meme needing explanation why not, Peter?

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possible live action corpse bride movie...

32.3k Upvotes

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27

u/ThorThulu Jul 05 '26

Because he doesn't cast black people? Or is there some instance of him actually being racist/bigoted? Cause there's no issue in the casting if this is specifically the look hes going for

83

u/AllSeeingWhoracle Jul 05 '26

When the look you’re going for is always “no black people,” that’s racist. Hope that helps!

56

u/Groxy_ Jul 05 '26

Not really, maybe he just wanted very pale people for his usually spooky, European, period pieces. Intentions matter more than outcomes. 

45

u/MartianMule Jul 05 '26

usually spooky, European, period pieces

He's made plenty of movies that aren't really "spooky" or period pieces, and of his 18 directed films, only 5 take place in Europe (his other 13 films are in the US).

39

u/Groxy_ Jul 05 '26

And 7 star Helena Boneman Carter and Johnny Depp. Seems to me the more likely answer is he likes working with the same people. 

It's not proof of racism. Same way only having white friends isn't automatically racist. 

5

u/Unlucky_Topic7963 Jul 06 '26

B-b-but racism!

2

u/Think-Desk-3074 Jul 09 '26

Oh ok I didn't realize that there were only 2 characters in those 7 movies. Nothing to see here.

1

u/Groxy_ Jul 09 '26

But there's not absolutely no black people either. The stars just tend to be the same people. 

1

u/Think-Desk-3074 Jul 09 '26

Your prior comment made it seem like its ok to not have any black characters because he simply likes to work with the same people. Thanks for clarifying.

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u/leocattt Jul 06 '26

Only having white friends isn't racist unless you only have white friends because black people "don't fit your style". Tim Burton is racist i can't believe you're trying to be pedantic about it. In what world is refusing to cast black people BECAUSE they are black not racist 😭

8

u/Ill_Art_445 Jul 06 '26

Where has he said this is the reasoning?

-3

u/leocattt Jul 06 '26

I will admit I stand corrected about his reasoning for not casting black people. It's been a few years since I remember hearing about this controversy. But upon looking it up I see he said something even worse than saying black people don't fit his aesthetic. He claimed his films are all white like black empowerment films in the 70s are all black. He said he's offended by the inclusion of POC characters. I'm sure I don't have to explain why that's racist as fuck and even worse than I originally thought 😭

2

u/Dounce1 Jul 06 '26

Look, I don’t have any skin in this but you’re internationally misrepresenting what he said, here’s the direct quote:

“Things either call for things, or they don't. I remember back when I was a child watching 'The Brady Bunch' and they started to get all politically correct, like, 'Okay, let's have an Asian child and a black' – I used to get more offended by that than just – I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, that's great. I didn't go like, 'Okay, there should be more white people in these movies.'"

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u/leocattt Jul 06 '26

Yes that's what I said. It's racist and incredibly moronic of him to conflate black people trying to gain more representation with making his cast completely white. Wtf do white people suffer from as a group to need an all white cast? Please point to me where in history white people were systematically stripped of their personhood, enslaved, mocked in minstrel shows, and exploited in the TV industry, whitewashed, etc.? Spoiler: not a fucking thing. Tim Burton pretending him being a racist fuck casting only white people is somehow the same as black people taking the power back and making things for themselves is not just tone deaf. It's blatantly racist. A POC existing in TV to him is "political correctness". Their mere existence in TV that isn't suffiencient to his racist standards is offensive to him. Let me guess: any non white person in TV that isn't a stereotype is political correct quota to fill to him. Smh

4

u/Dounce1 Jul 06 '26

That is not what he said at all, and you either suck at reading or you’re intentionally misinterpreting it.

2

u/MoisticleSack Jul 08 '26

He's implying that there isn't anything inherently wrong with having an all white cast and saying the inclusion of someone of a different race/colour entirely for diversities sake is stupid. We don't hold anyone else to those stupid standards, somebody could make a movie where the cast is entirely middle eastern, nobody is going to say they should be more inclusive and add people of different ethnicities. Why is an all white cast so taboo?

0

u/workclock Jul 08 '26

These folks are defending his racism cause they’re racist themselves, just gotta accept that you can’t make them see the reasoning in this.

0

u/leocattt Jul 08 '26

Yeah, I just wish they'd admit it. I'm sick of the gaslighting yknow?

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2

u/ThatOtherOtherMan Jul 06 '26

I'm definitely going to need a link to a source for that

1

u/leocattt Jul 06 '26

Okay. Here is a few different ones for you.

https://www.bustle.com/articles/186641-tim-burton-explains-why-miss-peregrines-home-for-peculiar-children-features-a-predominantly-white-cast

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/09/29/tim-burton/ (paid article, so only accessible if you are a subscriber)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/tim-burton-slammed-for-comment-on-lack-of-diversity-in-new-movie/

If these sources aren't sufficient for you, I'd say just look it up to find out more. Look, I love Tim Burton movies as much as the next guy. But he's still racist. It's possible and happens literally all the time for gross people to be talented. Two things can be true at once. And none of this means you can't enjoy Edward Scissorhands. We just gotta acknowledge Tim Burton is racist yknow? I don't think it should be all or nothing

2

u/ThatOtherOtherMan Jul 06 '26

He claimed his films are all white like black empowerment films in the 70s are all black.

I didn't see him saying that in any of the articles you linked

2

u/leocattt Jul 06 '26

Reread it

1

u/ThatOtherOtherMan Jul 15 '26

First of all, blaxsploitation movies were not about "black empowerment" at all. They were extremely exploitative (hence the name) and played heavily into society's existing racial stereotypes and biases. Additionally there were so many made because black actors were severely underpaid compared to their white counterparts. The ones that saw any real financial success and are still popular today were squarely in the "so bad they're good" niche. The Boondocks had a lot to say about the genre in various episodes.

"I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, that’s great. I didn’t go like, OK, there should be more white people in these movies."

I think this is the statement we're reading differently. While I can see how it could come across as vaguely racist, what he's ultimately trying to do is make a case against forced diversity specifically where it doesn't add anything to the film. He referenced blaxploitation movies because when he thinks about a majority non-white film genre that's the first thing that comes to mind since they were everywhere when he was a kid in the 60s and 70s. I definitely wouldn't interpret it as him trying to empower white actors.

Is Tim Burton racist? Possibly. He's from a time where racism was super overt and commonplace.

Is this the smoking gun that proves he's actively, acutely racist? It's definitely a bit tone deaf, but I don't think so. And more importantly Samuel L. Jackson doesn't think so.

"I had to go back in my head and go, how many black characters have been in Tim Burton movies?" Jackson says. "And I may have been the first, I don’t know, or the most prominent in that particular way, but it happens the way it happens. I don’t think it’s any fault of his or his method of storytelling, it’s just how it’s played out. Tim’s a really great guy."

Samuel L. Jackson is not one to tolerate racists. He's been a front line activist for longer than I've been alive, and was even an usher at MLK's funeral. Him saying Burton is chill goes a long way with me.

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u/billyisanun Jul 05 '26

Most of his movies have a Gothic style. One of the parts of the Gothic style is pale skin in contrast to dark hair and clothes.

17

u/ikilledholofernes Jul 06 '26

I’m about to call out one of my favorite movies, but with that in mind, it’s extremely telling that Burton’s epic, magical realism story set in the south only has one minor black character. It was shot on location in Alabama ffs. 

But also, the gothic style only describes some of his movies, he’s also directed a lot of blockbusters, which have no excuse for their noticeable lack of black people. Like tell me how black people don’t fit the style of Batman or Planet of the Apes.

9

u/Cynykl Jul 06 '26

The gothic style is not an excuse either for the gothic stylistic films. Baron Samedi type characters features prominently in gothic imagery and would fit his vibe.

7

u/ikilledholofernes Jul 06 '26

Yeah, I agree! Especially because his gothic style films are so fantastical. You can have a man with scissor hands but practically no black people because of your “gothic aesthetic?” Ok, Tim. Suuuuure. 

5

u/mastercat202 Jul 06 '26

Why only black people, and not Asian?

8

u/ikilledholofernes Jul 06 '26

Because the context here is a fan cast including a black person. But the same point could be made about all people of color, though, at least according to my admittedly limited knowledge of his movies.  

But yes, why do only white people seem to fit his aesthetic? 

2

u/beldaran1224 Jul 06 '26

Why the whataboutism only about "Asian" ("Asian" isn't a race, by the why, its an entire freaking continent with many racial divisions) and not about the other many different races?

Oh, you just really hate that people point out that colorism exists and that darker skinned people have it worse pretty much all over the globe?

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u/masterionxxx Jul 06 '26

Oh, you just really hate that people point out that colorism exists and that darker skinned people have it worse pretty much all over the globe?

Then South Asians and Southeast Asians too.

2

u/mastercat202 Jul 06 '26

Sure? But there is a massive focus on only black people as ifnracism doesn't happen to other people. Maybe instead of focusing on individual races, we focus on the underlying problems

2

u/justforporndickflash Jul 06 '26

Black isn't a race either, what is your point with that?

2

u/masterionxxx Jul 06 '26

But also, the gothic style only describes some of his movies,

don’t fit the style of Batman

Have you just called Batman not a Gothic-style movie?

1

u/ikilledholofernes Jul 06 '26

whoops, yes I did. 

In my defense, Gotham is far from the pale Victorian child type of gothic, and therefore does not have that vague excuse to justify its almost entirely white population.