Cartoonist Scott Adams has excused his bigotry for years by claiming comedian’s privilege, the right to skewer societal norms even if that angers people.
With a racist rant on his YouTube show “Real Coffee with Scott Adams,” the Dilbert creator dropped the facade and revealed his true self — a bitter and hate-filled man who has no business sharing his views in our publication.
That is why we are pulling the Dilbert comic strip from our newspaper and website.
Without a hint of satire or irony, the artist on his show last week called Black people “a hate group” and urged white people “to get the hell away from Black people.” He said he was reacting to a poll in which 26 percent of Black people said it’s not OK to be white.
Adams has drawn criticism for past cartoons that offended people of color, LGBTQ+ people and transgender people, and that made fun of what he considers “woke” culture. A white man, he previously declared he would begin self-identifying as Black “because I like to be on the winning team.” After hearing about the poll he cited, he said last week that he had decided to re-identify as white.
Adams’ grievances conveniently ignore centuries of oppressive power dynamics, which have excluded Black people and other marginalized communities from the security and prosperity to which all Americans aspire. Instead of inviting others to share the nation’s promises, he angrily defends the status quo that privileges his own in-group.
While Dilbert’s satire of mindless corporate bureaucracy and office culture has been popular with readers for many years, Adams’ conduct is repulsive and collides with Seattle Times values. We believe in treating people with respect and honoring the diversity in our community. We strive to cover this region in a way that includes those of all backgrounds and with varied life experiences. We proudly support anti-racist policies in our news coverage and editorial positions.
Many publications have recoiled after Adams’ diatribe. Over four days, Dilbert has been pulled from The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and newspapers within the sizable Gannett and Advance chains.
Adams may think society and workplaces have grown too “woke.” But it’s clear he simply needs to wake up, recognize historical wrongs and learn to treat people with humanity.
We’ve pulled the daily Dilbert strip effective Feb. 27; the Sunday edition, because it’s preprinted, will run through March 12. We are reviewing options for a replacement and would love your ideas. Please share them with us at editorfeedback@seattletimes.com.
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