In the eye of the storm: 'Dilbert' creator Scott Adams under fire again as he continues to stir up controversy
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Dilbert creator Scott Adams is once again in the midst of controversy as he came up with a discriminatory statement against Black people on his YouTube show titled 'Real Coffee With Scott Adams' on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. The controversial statement has now led Gannett, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the country, to stop publishing the comic strip immediately following the creator's remarks. However, this is not the first time the cartoon is getting canceled.
The 65-year-old also labeled black people a "hate group", citing a poll that found that nearly half of the Black population is not okay with White people. He also claimed, "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."
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What did Scott Adams claim in the video?
The creator claimed in the video, "The best advice I would give to White people is to get the hell away from Black people. Just get the f**k away. Wherever you have to go, just get away." He added, "There’s no fixing this. This can’t be fixed... You just have to escape. So that’s what I did, I went to a neighborhood where I have a very low Black population."
Adams also said, "It turns out that nearly half of that team doesn't think I'm okay to be White. I'm going to back off from being helpful to Black America because it doesn't seem like it pays off," he said, adding, "I get called a racist. That's the only outcome. It makes no sense to help Black Americans if you're white. It's over. Don't even think it's worth trying."
What is the response from media houses?
Gannett said in an official statement, "Recent discriminatory comments by the creator, Scott Adams, have influenced our decision to discontinue publishing his comic. While we respect and encourage free speech, his views do not align with our editorial or business values as an organization. At Gannett, we lead with inclusion and strive to maintain a respectful and equitable environment for the diverse communities we serve nationwide," according to Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, the cartoon would be cut from the Kansas City Star, said community engagement editor Derek Donovan. He also called Adams' “antagonistic, childishly macho persona” has been a constant for years, according to AP.
“It’s not cancel culture. It’s doing the right thing," said editor Richard Green of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in California. The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts, left a blank space on Monday, February 27, where 'Dilbert' would normally run and said it would keep it that way through March “as a reminder of the racism that pervades our society.”
Is it the first time Dilbert got canceled?
Dilbert has been taken off even before by various media outlets. In September 2022, Dilbert was taken out of publisher Lee Enterprises. The media company owns nearly 100 newspapers across the country, including The Buffalo News, St Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Arizona Daily Sun. This was due to his portrayal of a Black character who identifies as White. The cartoon also showed the worker being asked to also identify as gay to boost his company's environmental, social, and governance ratings. Another controversy created by Adams that gained public attention was when Adams stated misogynistic comments in one of his blogs, as per NBC Bay Area.
I lost my TV show for being white when UPN decided it would focus on an African-American audience. That was the third job I lost for being white. The other two in corporate America. (They told me directly.)
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) June 29, 2020
On his blog, Adams said, "Women are treated differently by society for exactly the same reason that children and the mentally handicapped are treated differently. It’s just easier this way for everyone. You don’t argue with a four-year-old about why he shouldn’t eat candy for dinner. You don’t punch a mentally handicapped guy even if he punches you first. And you don’t argue when a woman tells you she’s only making 80 cents to your dollar. It’s the path of least resistance. You save your energy for more important battles."
Previously he had also tweeted, "I lost my TV show for being White when UPN decided it would focus on an African-American audience. That was the third job I lost for being White. The other two in corporate America. (They told me directly.)"
Scott Adams' response to the recent controversy
A lot of people are angry at me today but I haven't yet heard anyone disagree. I make two main points:
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) February 25, 2023
1. Treat everyone as an individual (no discrimination).
2. Avoid any group that doesn't respect you.
Does anyone think that is bad advice?
Adams tweeted a response to the recent controversy that read, "A lot of people are angry at me today but I haven't yet 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 is bad advice?"