US papers drop 'Dilbert' cartoon due to creator's racist remarks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
26 Feb 15:09
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"That's a hate group and I don't want anything to do with them," the creator of the Dilbert comic strip said, prompting broadcasting networks to drop his comics altogether.

Scott Adams, the creator of "Dilbert", poses with two "Dilbert" characters at a party January 8, 1999 in Pasadena, California. (Reuters)

Several US newspapers took the decision to stop publishing "Dilbert" comics after its creator posted a racist video, where he called Black people a "hate group".

The posted video created controversy toward Scott Adams, the American author and cartoonist who created the syndicated Dilbert comic strip.

The video, which was posted on Wednesday, was proven to be the final stroke for the famous comic's many publishers.

"That's a hate group and I don't want anything to do with them," the creator said. "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."

His statement was prompted by a conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports poll. The results of the poll showed a slight majority of Black respondents who disagreed with the following statement: It's okay to be white.

"We will no longer publish the Dilbert comic due to recent discriminatory comments by its creator.", said the USA TODAY Network, a broadcasting company operating 200+ papers across 45 states.

Chris Quinn, the editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio said that it was not a difficult decision for his paper to drop Dilbert's comic strip, adding, "We are not a home for those who espouse racism."

Other broadcasting channels expressed their zero-tolerance policy across their platforms, including MLive Media Group and The Washington Post who dropped Adam's strip due to his "unapologetically racist rant."