'Dilbert' newspaper flap highlights Scott Adams controversy

“Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams' recent announcement that his popular comic strip exploring the office culture grind was being trimmed out ... AdvertisementSnyde‘Dilbert’newspaperflapbringsrenewedfocusoncartoonistScottAdams’manycontroversiesByBrianNiemietzNewYorkDailyNewsSep24,2022at7:15am“Dilbert”cartoonistScottAdams’recentannouncementthathispopularcomicstripexploringtheofficeculturegrindwasbeingtrimmedoutofdozensofnewspapersisdrawingrenewedattentiontothe65-year-oldcreator’smanycontroversiesandinflammatorycomments.“Dilbertwascancelledin77newspapersthisweek,”theWindham,GreeneCountynativetweetedTuesday.Advertisement#Dilbertwascancelledin77newspapersthisweek.—ScottAdams(@ScottAdamsSays)September20,2022 ThepapersthatcuttieswithDilbertareownedbyLeeEnterprises,whichrevampeditsfunnypagesinprintanddidawaywithnumerouscomicstrips.Adamsdidn’taddresshowthemovewouldimpactDilbert’spresenceonline.InaninterviewwithFoxNews,Adamssaidhewasnottoldwhy“Dilbert”wasoneofthecomicstripsLeeEnterpriseschosetogettheoldheave-ho,butdidn’truleoutthepossibilityitwaspoliticallymotivated.Hesaidhisobjectivewastohumorouslydocumenthowofficeworkersdealwithrulestopromoteworkplaceequity.AdvertisementScottAdams,creatorofthecomicstripDilbert,posesforaportraitwiththeDilbertcharacterinhisstudioinDublin,Calif.,Thursday,Oct.26,2006.(MARCIOJOSESANCHEZ/ASSOCIATEDPRESS)“That’senoughtomakepeoplethinkthatImustbetakingsidespolitically,”Adamssaid.WhileAdamsdidn’tindicatethathewasavictimof“cancelculture,”thatwastheconclusionreachedbyalotofhisfans.Otherscomplainedaboutanon-specific“they”whowereresponsiblefor“Dilbert”appearinginfewerpapers,whilesomeofAdams’Twitterfollowerssomehowsawapaper’sdecisionnottoprintsomethingasaFirstAmendmentissue.[ ‘Dilbert’comicstrippedfromnearly80newspapers ]CriticsnotedthechangesbyLeeEnterprisesimpactedseveralcomicstripswithnoapparentpoliticalundertonesandaccusedright-wingersloyalto“Dilbert”ofusinghis“cancelled”announcementtoadvanceanunrelatedagenda.LeeEnterprisesvicepresidentoflocalnewsJasonAdriansconfirmedtotheDailyNewsthatthecompany’sprintpublicationspullcontentfromalargeronlinelibrarythatincludesmorethan500comicsandpuzzlesfromwhichthepublisherhastochooseforprint.“Thatmeansthatourprintreadershaveareliableslateofexcellentcomicsthatrangefromnewertoclassic,andourdigitalreadershaveanentirelibraryofcomicstoperuseeveryday,”hesaidinastatement.Heapologizedtoreaderswhowereupsetbychangestotheirlocalpapers,someofwhomhavecomplainedaboutshrinkingfunnypages.AdamsdidnotreturnaDailyNewsrequestforcomment.Thecartoonisthasalonghistoryofcreatingcontroversiesandmakingprovocativecomments.AdvertisementIn2019,followingadeadlyshootingatafestivalinGilroy,Calif.,AdamstooktoTwittertopromotehisappWhenHub(helaterapologized).HehasalsoponderedtheaccuracyoftheHolocaustdeathtollandsuggestedthatteenboysaredriventoviolencebyalackofsex.In2020,reflectingonthecancellationoftheTVadaptationof“Dilbert”decadesearlier,hetweeted“IlostmyTVshowforbeingwhite.”Adamsclaimedthatwasn’tthefirsttimehesuspectsbeingwhiteworkedagainsthimprofessionally.HehasalsojokedonTwitterthathewasgoingto“self-identifyasaBlackwoman”sothathe’dbeconsideredfortheSupremeCourt.TheDailyNewsFlashWeekdaysCatchupontheday’stopfivestorieseveryweekdayafternoon.>InJuly,hebizarrelytweetedabouthisteenagestepson’s2018deathfromaFentanyloverdose.[ ‘Dilbert’creatorScottAdamsendorsesHillaryClintonbecausehefearshersupportersmightkillhim;stilllikesTrumpanyway ]“Whenayoungmale(let’ssay14to19)isadangertohimselfandothers,societygivesthesupportingfamilytwooptions:1.Watchpeopledie.2.Killyourownson.Thoseareyouronlyoptions,”hetweeted.“Ichose#1andwatchedmystepsondie.Iwasrelievedhetooknooneelsewithhim.”Adamshascourtedcontroversywithinhiscomicstrip,too.OnerecentcomicshowsawhitebossaskingaBlackemployeewhoidentifiesaswhiteifhecouldalsoidentifyasgaytohelpthecompanysatisfyaquota.Anotherrecentcomictookajabatworkplacediversityandenvironmentalism.AdvertisementClimatesciencehasbeenthebuttofseveral“Dilbert”jokessincethecomiclaunchedin1989.Adams’personalpoliticshaverunthegamut.Thoughhebloggedin2016thathewasnotamemberofapoliticalparty,theillustratorexpressedadmirationforDonaldTrump.He’salsodescribedBillClinton’spoliciesas“sensible.”Adamscalledhimselfsometimes“leftofBernieSanders”ina2017onlineQ&A,wherehesaidhefollows“theopinionofwomen”whenitcomestoabortionright.Duringthatchat,headvocatedforfreecollegeandhealthcare,butsaidhedoesn’tseeapracticalwayofmakingthosethingsareality.TheCaliforniantweetedFridaythatDemocratsshouldgetseriousabouthisstate’sgovernorGavinNewsom“iftheyareplayingtowin.”HewroteonhiswebsitethathewaitedsixmonthstogethisCOVID-19vaccination,butdidnotplantogetabooster.“Ididn’ttrustthedata,thevaccines,oranyoftheplayers,”heargued.“ButIalsodidn’ttrustthevirus.” Advertisement