‘Dilbert’ dropped from hundreds of papers after racist remarks

After “Dilbert” comic strip creator Scott Adams made derogatory remarks about Black people in a video he posted online, hundreds of US newspapers have announced that they will no longer publish the popular comic strip. The iconic comic strip that lampooned office life became massively popular in the 1990s, even spawning a TV show briefly. But, in recent years, Adams has become controversial for posting increasingly extreme right-wing views online.

In the video posted on Wednesday, Dilbert creator Adams referred to Black people as a “hate group” and advised white people to stay away from them. He made these remarks in response to a poll conducted by the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports. The report stated that only a small majority of Black respondents agreed with the statement “It’s okay to be white.”

Following the release of the video, several newspapers decided to stop publishing the “Dilbert” comic strip. The USA TODAY Network, which operates hundreds of papers across the US, announced its decision on Friday with a statement.

“‘USA TODAY’ will no longer publish the Dilbert comic due to recent discriminatory comments by its creator.”

The editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, also stated that his paper had dropped the comic strip.

“It was not a difficult decision. We are not a home for those who espouse racism.”

Similarly, MLive Media Group, which operates eight Michigan-based publications, announced that it had “zero tolerance for racism” and would no longer publish the Dilbert comic strip. The Washington Post also said on Saturday that it would no longer publish the cartoon due to “Scott Adams’s recent statements.”

While Adams may have made his incendiary comments under the umbrella of free speech, he is now finding out that freedom of speech does not protect individuals from the consequences of their words.

It is not the first time that the Dilbert creator has courted controversy. In 2016, he endorsed Donald Trump for president, saying that the then-candidate was “a master persuader.” He has also been accused of promoting conspiracy theories and denying climate change.