The creator of the Dilbert comic faced a spate of cancellations yesterday, defending his claim that black people are members of a “hate group” that white people should “stay away from”.
Several media publishers in the United States censored Scott Adams’ comments, calling them racist, hateful and discriminatory, while announcing that they would no longer publish his comic strip.
Andrews McMeel Syndication, which distributes Dilbert, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, Adams defended himself on social media before those who said: “They hate me and quit me”.
Dilbert is a long-published comic strip that ridicules office culture.
The wave of abandonments began after an episode last week on the YouTube show Real Coffee with Scott Adams.
related
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a 1970 Beetle Bailey comic, the character known as Sarge berates his uniformed dog Otto for a…
Among other things, Adams cited a Rasmussen Reports poll that asked people if they agreed with the statement “it’s okay to be white.”
Most said yes, but Adamas found that 26% of black respondents disagreed and others were unsure.
The Anti-Defamation League claims that the phrase was popularized in 2017 as a harassment campaign by members of the 4chan discussion forum, but was later used by some white supremacists.
related
NEW YORK — Cartoonists across the United States celebrate their 100th anniversary this week.
Adams, who is white, has repeatedly labeled black people as members of a “hate group” or a “racial hate group” and said he will stop “helping African Americans.”
In another episode of his online show yesterday, Adams said he wanted to insist that “everyone should be treated as an individual” without discrimination.
“But you also have to avoid any group that doesn’t respect you, even if there are great people in that group,” Adams said.
The Los Angeles Times announced yesterday that, due to Adams’ “racist remarks,” it will stop publishing Dilbert in most of its issues effective Monday, and will appear in the Sunday comics for the last time on March 12 as they print in advance .
The San Antonio Express-News, part of Hearst Newspapers, reported yesterday that it would stop publishing the Dilbert comic strip effective Monday “due to hateful and discriminatory public comments by its creator.”
The USA Today Network tweeted Friday that it would also be ceasing publication of Dilbert “due to recent discriminatory comments from its creator.”
The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and other publications that are part of Advance Local Media also announced that they will stop publishing Dilbert.