After Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip "Dilbert," went on a "racist rant," several newspapers have chosen to stop publishing the strip. Adams, who has a history of divisive remarks, made remarks on social media that were roundly condemned for being offensive and racially insensitive.
Several publications have declared that they will stop publishing "Dilbert" in their daily or Sunday editions as a result. Major newspapers like The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The Philadelphia Inquirer are included in this. Some publications have also announced that they will review their guidelines for publishing articles by writers who hold divisive opinions.
Adams later expressed regret for his remarks, but the fallout has already had an impact on his career. As a result of Adams' divisive comments, the "Dilbert" comic strip, which has been a mainstay in newspapers for over 30 years, might continue to struggle to find a large audience.
Adams declared on his YouTube account on Wednesday that "that's a hate group" if nearly half of all Black people are against white people. And I don't want to interact with them in any way.
Due to the creator of the "Dilbert" comic posting a racist tirade on YouTube, the cartoon has been removed from a number of American newspapers.
In response to a poll conducted by a conservative group that claimed to demonstrate that many African Americans do not believe it is acceptable to be white, Scott Adams referred to Black people as a "hate group" and advised white people to "get the hell away from Black people."
"That's a hate group if almost half of Black people don't get along with white people," Adams said on his YouTube account on Wednesday. And I don't want to interact with them in any way.
The remarks sparked a social media uproar and requests that publishers remove the right cartoonist's work from their rosters.
The Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the newspapers affiliated with USA Today, and other publications will no longer publish his once-famous comic strip that parodies corporate culture and was first published in 1989, the newspapers declared in statements on Friday and Saturday.
In a letter to readers published on Friday, Chris Quinn, editor of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, stated, "This is not a difficult choice." We do not welcome people who support bigotry.
On Saturday, The Los Angeles Times announced that it would also discontinue the comic.
The Times' website stated that "cartoonist Scott Adams made racist statements in a YouTube livestream on February 22 that The Times rejects."
The Times reported that four Dilbert comics had been taken down from its pages in recent months due to standards violations.
On Saturday, Reuters was unable to quickly get in touch with Adams for comment. However, he verified that his comic was being dropped on his YouTube channel and claimed that he had anticipated that to happen.
"I should be mostly cancelled by Monday. I'll be out of money by the following week, "said he. "My reputation is ruined for the remainder of my life. There is no turning back from this."
A conservative Rasmussen Poll that seemed to indicate that 26% of Black respondents disagreed with the statement "It's acceptable to be white" prompted Adams' initial comments. 21% of people said they were unsure.
Rasmussen also noted that 72% of Americans generally agree that it's acceptable to be white, compared to 12% who disagree, according to an online and telephone poll conducted last week of 1,000 potential U.S. voters.
In his Wednesday rant, Adams claimed that he had relocated because he wanted to avoid being around Black people. He encouraged other white people to do the same.
He clarified, "I'm not saying initiate a war or anything like that. I'm just telling you to leave.
You must be logged in to post a comment.