Popular cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, has been written off in several media outlets after being accused of being a racist. The cancellations followed statements by Adams in which he said black Americans are "a hate group" and advised whites to stay out of his way in a YouTube video.
Last Wednesday, Adams referred on his podcast Real coffee with Scott Adams to a poll showing that nearly half of the black population disagreed with the phrase"it's OK to be white," an expression that was popularized in a 2017 campaign and picked up by the Anti-Defamation League as a "symbol of hate." After mentioning the poll result, the humorist advised whites to "get away from black people:"
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. Just get the fuck away. Wherever you have to go, just get away. Because there’s no fixing this. This can’t be fixed. So I don’t think it makes any sense as a white citizen of America to try to help Black citizens anymore. It doesn’t make sense. There’s no longer a rational impulse. So I’m going to back off on being helpful to Black America because it doesn’t seem like it pays off.
Condemnation of Adams' "racist rant"
The video prompted a swift wave of outrage and complaints, accusing Adams of being a racist and white supremacist. Numerous media outlets, such as USA Today and all the newspapers belonging to the Advance Local media group announced that Dilbert would no longer appear in them as a result of the author's "racist rant." Advance Local's vice president of content, Chris Quinn released a statement in the pages of The Plain Dealer and on the Cleveland.com website explaining what happened: "This is not a difficult decision, we are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly don't want to provide them with financial support." Until they decide who will replace the well-known character, a gray box will be in its place.
At @Gannett, we lead with inclusion and strive to maintain a respectful and equitable environment for the diverse communities we serve nationwide. #TeamGannett pic.twitter.com/GvHR1w9ae3
— USA TODAY NETWORK PR (@USATODAY_PR) February 24, 2023
Adams responds with humor
On his part, Adams seems to have taken these developments lightly. On his Twitter account, he has responded to many of his attackers with sarcasm while lamenting the state of American society.
Supporting my point. Thank you. I didn't think this would work out so well for me. https://t.co/DAe1AOD1Hf
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) February 24, 2023
This is not the first time Adams has been accused of being a racist. In June 2020, the comedian stated that the cancellation of the animated series. Dilbert in prime time on UPN's "Dilbert" 20 years ago was because he was white: "I lost my TV show because I was white when UPN decided it would focus on an African-American audience. It was the third job I lost because I was white." Two years later, Adams tweeted, "I'm going to self-identify as a black woman until Biden picks his Supreme Court nominee. I realize it's a long shot, but I don't want to take myself completely out of the conversation for the position."
