The racist creator of the popular Dilbert comic claims Don Lemon shares his views on black people and shares a 2013 clip of the embattled CNN host offering his advice to the black community.
Scott Adams, who is believed to have amassed many millions from the Dilbert series over the past three decades, has come under fire for a video in which he called black people a “hate group” and advised white people to “shut up the shit receive”. k’ away from people of color so as not to get into trouble.
The Dilbert comic about a lowly clerk was immediately pulled from hundreds of newspapers across the country.
But Adams, 65, only doubled down on his comments, citing former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday to claim bigotry is acceptable in certain situations.
And on Sunday, he shared the 2013 clip of Don Lemon’s five tips for the black community, tweeting, “CNN canceled me for agreeing with Don Lemon.”
Dilbert creator Scott Adams (pictured) has tried to defend himself after hosting a racist tirade on his web series last week
He claimed Sunday that he made the same points Don Lemon made in a 2013 clip advising the black community to pick up their pants and stop littering
He tweeted Sunday, “CNN canceled me for agreeing with Don Lemon.”
In the clip, which has garnered 3.7 million views since it was first posted to Twitter on February 19, Don Lemon advises members of America’s black community to pull up their pants and pick up trash.
Because black people, if you really want to solve the problem, here are just five things to think about,” the CNN host said on the air in 2013. “Here’s number five, pull up your pants.”
He explained in the two-minute clip that the trend of wearing baggy jeans with boxers sticking out has its roots in the prison system, where guards strip inmates of their belts so they can’t be used as weapons.
“And then that evolved into what role a prisoner would play in sex between men,” said Lemon, who is openly gay. “The one with the really low pants is a submissive – you know what I mean?”
Lemon then advised members of the black community not to use the N-word when speaking to each other and to pick up the trash in their neighborhoods.
“Now number three, respect your place of residence,” he said. “Start small by leaving zero trash and litter in your own communities.
“I’ve lived in several mostly white neighborhoods in my life — I’ve rarely seen people throw out trash,” Lemon claimed. “I live in Harlem now, it’s a historically black neighborhood. Every day I see adults and children throwing rubbish on the ground when there is a rubbish bin just a few meters away.”
Lemon also advised members of the black community to stay in school, telling his audience, “You want to break the cycle of poverty? Stop telling kids they’re acting “white” because they go to school or speak real English.
And his final piece of advice, which he cited as the most important, was, “Just because you can have a baby doesn’t mean you should, especially without planning it or getting married first.”
He cited a study showing that more than 72 percent of babies born in the African-American community at the time were born to unmarried parents, which he says means “absent fathers.”
“And studies show that not having a male role model is a straight shot to jail, and the cycle continues.”
Adams, creator of the popular Dilbert comic strip, said on his online show Real Coffee with Scott Adams on Wednesday that white people “should get away from black people.”
Adams said Sunday morning that Lemon’s remarks were similar to what he tried to say on his online show Real Coffee with Scott Adams on Wednesday.
But in the livestream video, posted to his YouTube channel last week, Adams told viewers, “The best advice I would give to white people is to walk away from black people.
“Just the fuck go away. Wherever you have to go, just walk away.’
He added: “There’s no fixing it. This cannot be fixed… you just have to escape. So that’s what I did, I went to an area where I have a very small black population.
The 65-year-old then called black people a “hate group,” citing a poll that found almost half of black people disagree with white people.
As the video gained traction over the weekend, Gannett — one of the country’s largest newspaper distributors — confirmed he would dump Dilbert.
“Creator Scott Adams’ recent discriminatory comments have influenced our decision to stop publishing his comic,” the organization said in a statement Saturday to the New York Post.
“While we respect and encourage freedom of expression, his views are not aligned with our editorial or business values as an organization.
‘At Gannett, we lead inclusion and strive to maintain a respectful and equitable environment for the diverse communities we serve across the country.’
The Cleveland Plain Dealer later announced that he too would cut ties with Adams after his “racist tirade.”
“It’s not a difficult decision,” Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn wrote in his letter to the editor on Friday.
“Adams said blacks are a hate group, citing a recent Rasmussen poll showing nearly half of all blacks disagree with the phrase ‘it’s okay to be white.’
The Los Angeles Times also announced it would be discontinuing the comic, along with the San Antonio Express-News and the USA Today Network.
Adams, pictured in 2001, is said to have made more than $70 million from the Dilbert series over the past three decades
The comic follows a character, Dilbert, in a menial office job. It was published in newspapers across the country, many of which dropped the comic as a result of Adam’s comments
He tried to double down on the comments over the weekend, tweeting to his 867,000 followers on Saturday: “A lot of people are angry with me today but I haven’t heard anyone disagree.
“I make two main points: 1. Treat everyone as an individual (no discrimination).
‘2. Avoid any group that doesn’t respect you. Does anyone think that’s bad advice?’
Later in the day he wrote: “Has anyone checked the price of free speech lately? It’s worse than eggs.”
Adams also tried to defend his racist tirade by comparing his comments to Mike Pence’s personal policy, where he said he never dines alone with any woman other than his wife – a policy many have criticized as a sexist practice.
Interpreting the rule as a way for a man to avoid false accusations of sexual misconduct, the Dilbert creator said his advice to avoid black people stemmed from the same fear of allegedly false accusations of racism.
But then he went further, urging “everyone” to embrace racism in the workplace in a video on Saturday as he tried to justify his remarks.
“All I’m saying is, as a personal, professional choice, be sure to be racist whenever it’s to your advantage, and that goes for men, for women, for black or white, Asian or Hispanic,” he said.
Adams tried to explain that his comments were “the opposite of racism, but also racism.”
“Anyone who doesn’t agree with the idea that you should stay away from people who have a chance, you won’t like them,” he told viewers, again claiming that he would be the victim of false accusations.
He then used his interpretation of Mike Pence’s rule about eating with other women to justify his argument, saying: “The Mike Pence rule would say you want some space. Now is that racist? Yes, by definition.
“But it’s racist in a personal context of success, which is entirely permissible.”
And on the subject of “legal” racism, Adams urged everyone to exploit bigoted practices to reap rewards.
Such a practice, Adams argued, is positive action, claiming that a black person taking advantage of the policy is a “racist career choice” that he “would wholeheartedly support.”
“When you make decisions about your own personal life, you can be as racist as you want,” he said. “It’s not illegal and it’s definitely not unethical.”