Last year, the Los Angeles Times dropped “9 Chickweed Lane” from its selected of comic strips. The strip often retold stories of the Comic’s characters from the past and this particular strip was dropped because a slur was used during a story line that flashed back to World War II.
That was tame compared to what “Dilbert” writer and creator Scott Adams did this week, coming out as full on racist.
This morning’s LA Times continues to carry “Dilbert,” a strip that pokes fun of engineers at a technology company. Adams is a big fan of Donald Trump. During his “Real Coffee with Scott Adams”online video program this week Adams referenced a poll that he said shows that “nearly half of all Blacks are not OK with White people,” which, in his opinion, makes Black Americans a hate group.
Here’s a story from the Mercury News that ran in the OC Register.
‘Dilbert’s’ Scott Adams: ‘White people should get the hell away from Black people’
Adams and “Dilbert” have been trending on Twitter for close to 48 hours. And he’ll no doubt and say he’s being cancelled because the Cleveland Plain Dealer has dropped his strip as has USA Today and hundreds of USA Today Network newspapers have dropped him (Gannett’s multiple small and midsize newspapers around the country). The Washington Post has dropped Dilbert too.
“In light of Scott Adams’s recent statements promoting segregation, The Washington Post has ceased publication of the Dilbert comic strip,” a spokesperson for the newspaper said Saturday, noting that it was too late to stop the strip from running in some upcoming print editions, including Sunday’s.”
In a letter announcing the decision, Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com VP of content Chris Quinn wrote that other papers in owned by parent company Advance Local, have also decided to stop running the strip including papers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Alabama and Oregon.
From his video, “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,” the 65-year-old author exclaimed. “Just get the hell away. Wherever you have to go, just get away. Because there’s no fixing this. This can’t be fixed.”
Adams was on Twitter defending his statements and even denying he had said them. Remarkably something the idiot manager in his comic strip would do.
As it is still February and Black History Month, it’s time for the Los Angeles Times to do the same thing. OC Register and the Southern California News Group should do the same.
UPDATE 3pm PST The Los Angeles Times has dropped Dilbert
UPDATE 2: Monday Feb 27 — Adams syndicator Andrews McMeel Universal announced that they’re ending their relationship with him.
Adams tweeted “what’s the cost of free speech?” No one is censoring his speech; he is free to be racist on a number of Internet platforms. But don’t expect newspapers or book publishers to continue publishing his work on their platforms or compensating him for being a racist. Time to have book publishers pull his titles.
This reminds me of James Mai and the #JamesMaiHateCrime (that wasn’t). Except it was gross, crass and awfully offensive on so many levels.
With that said, I wanted to point out the OC Housing Authority where Mai is a Commissioner is posting that its meetings are cancelled, but holding them anyway. Basically its in violation of the law. This happened for two straight months in a row now, so we are trying to get folks to take some action. We aren’t sure if the Housing Authority is doing this to prevent comments about Mai, which are obviously inconvenient and a distraction, or if they are just trying to avoid public participation, period. Either way, its wrong and illegal.
We are trying to call attention to this and asking for the publics help. WHY IS THE OC HOUSING AUTHORITY HOLDING MEETINGS WHEN THE WEBSITE REFLECTS MEETINGS ARE CANCELED?
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULIA BIDWELL WILL NOT ANSWER HER PHONE OR RETURN EMAILS, BUT YOU COULD TRY ANYWAY 714-480-2991 julia.bidwell@occr.ocgov.com
If you live, work or study in Santa Ana Anaheim, Tustin, Orange or North Tustin please contact your OC District Supervisor, Vicente Sarmiento : (714) 834-3220
If you live, work or study in Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Irvine (Southwest ), Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, and Rancho Mission Viejo call Supervisor Katrina Foley (714) 834-3550
If you live, work or study in Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Westminster, Midway City or Rossmoor call Supervisor Andrew Do (714) 834-3110
If you live, work or study in Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia or Stanton contact Supervisor Doug Chaffee at 714-834-3440
If you live, work or study in Anaheim Hills, Irvine ( North / East ) , Lake Forest, Villa Park, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Yorba Linda, its Don Wagner. Unfortunately he has already proven to be highly uncooperative and unresponsive to questions from the public regarding this. If in Don Wagner’s district we suggest emailing him at donald.wagner@ocgov.com because staff will simply not acknowledge concerns via phone. We have tried. Lastly, please note Wagner has well established ties to Mai and posed with him openly during his recent #donwagner2024 campaign kickoff. That was a few weeks after Mai withdrew his application for reappointment to the Irvine Child Care Committee.
Feel free to email me with any questions. – Thanks, Rose.
Sorry I see my email is not reflected. roshankoshaktee@gmail.com