More U.S. papers drop ‘Dilbert’
Creator hit for saying Blacks a ‘hate group’ whites should shun
Media companies across the country, including the Daily News, will no longer carry the cartoon “Dilbert” after the strip’s creator, Scott Adams, went on a racially charged rant telling fans to “get the hell away from Black people.”
The USA Today Network, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post were among the many papers that announced over the weekend that “Dilbert” would no longer run in their pages. They followed the lead of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which made the decision Friday.
“Scott Adams made racist comments in a YouTube livestream Feb. 22, offensive remarks that the Times rejects,” the Los Angeles Times said in a Saturday statement announcing its decision. “The comics pages should be a place where our readers can engage with societal issues, reflect on the human condition, and enjoy a few laughs.”
On a Wednesday episode of his YouTube show, Adams repeatedly said Black people constituted a “hate group” and suggested white people should “get the f—k away” from them.
“I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people,” Adams said. “Just get the f—k away. Wherever you have to go, just get away. Because there’s no fixing this.”
“I don’t think it makes any sense as a white citizen of America to try to help Black citizens anymore,” he continued. “It doesn’t seem like it pays off.”
The News also decided Saturday to drop “Dilbert” after Adams’ comments.
“This isn’t about tolerance of diverse views,” News Executive Editor Andrew Julien wrote Saturday. “It’s about making clear there’s a bright line between what’s acceptable and what’s not, and that hate should not and cannot be tolerated.”
Adams, who is originally from upstate Windham, complained in a followup show Saturday that he’d been “canceled” for his remarks.
His cartoon mocking office culture has been syndicated nationwide for more than 30 years.