Can we talk about Scott Adams/Dilbert?

[Dan Murphy]

Figures here.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/business/elon-musk-scott-adams-defense/index.html

 

[JaxDad]

I totally understand what you’re saying and I try not to be that person jumping to conclusions without the facts... but is there ever an instance where “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,” would be acceptable? Even if he’s talking about a specific group or poll that is hateful the answer is not more hate in my opinion and just furthers the cycle.

I agree. If he had confined his comments to those who answered the poll in an arguably racist way, that’s one thing, but he then apparently followed it up with his own very racist blanket statements. If I ran a newspaper, I would have dropped him too.

 

[Rick195275]

I don't know anything about the topic either so that second quote without context I can't say is disturbing. If you see what is going on out there in the world and in our politics, that quote isn't so far fetched in that context, and it's not something that can be talked about.

Again, another political issue that only one side can speak about here really. The statements quoted are only racist if you know the context. In another context, they could be legitimate comments, just on a different side than the reader may agree with.

I’m trying to understand a situation where someone saying one race should run from another race isn’t hateful? This isn’t politics, I’m pretty apolitical myself. This is ignorance in my opinion but if you can point out what I’m missing please enlighten me. No sarcasm intended

No, probably not, unless it were being used in a satirical manner. It doesn't sound like this is the case here though. I still don't buy all the pontificating from the papers that are dropping the strip. People have been calling out Adams for a while now, but suddenly they are all outraged. It's a business decision only.

Like I said I don’t know anything about the topic prior to reading this thread, so you are likely correct if he has a history of these statements which were ignored before.

 

[Babs Johnson]

The newspapers that dropped him made the right decision. Are any papers keeping the comic strip?

He cancelled himself.

I never cared for Dilbert and didn’t think it was amusing. There was one former co-worker who loved it and would occasionally cut out the comic strip and pin it to the office bulletin board. She also had a Dilbert calendar in her cubicle.

 

[mefordis]

My only question is, who reads newspapers?

 

[BrianL]

I’m trying to understand a situation where someone saying one race should run from another race isn’t hateful? This isn’t politics, I’m pretty apolitical myself. This is ignorance in my opinion but if you can point out what I’m missing please enlighten me. No sarcasm intended

Like I said I don’t know anything about the topic prior to reading this thread, so you are likely correct if he has a history of these statements which were ignored before.

He's said some various eyebrow-raising things - I can't really recall them all. They sparked some grumbling, but not to this extent. Some have called out certian strips of his, though, agian, when it's in the strip it can be hard to tell because it is a humor/satire strip and as such may be provocative. Like, you asked when a statement like that might be appropriate - I would say if it were said on an episode of Family Guy or a show like that where the character may be espousing a very ignorant and offensive point of view, but the show is in fact making fun of that view and that character. Sometimes people don't understand that. So, in the Dilbert strip if Wally or the Boss say something stupid or offensive, you have to consider that those characters are largely portrayed as useless and idiotic. In this case though, Adams has espoused these beleifs outside of the strip - it's not satire here. That's definitely a problem.

 

[mrodgers]

Oh please. Go watch the video and you will see it’s not taken out of context at all. Racism is racism and that dude has it dripping from his pores.

I don't have a video to watch. All I have is what a news article quoted without context. I see the news video which just says the same as the article. It doesn't show anything he said, just shows what they say he said as quotes. I saw a description of the poll being talked about and a screen shot of the poll. In the political sense, I fully agree with him as it seems to me he is talking about the political aspect and narrative we are in. I see him making said statements being about the political narrative, not against in general people of color in whole.

If there is another interpretation of the context, well, then it's difficult to discuss between 2 people with 2 different understandings of the incident.

Again, the only thing I have to go by is a single article with no information.

 

[Babs Johnson]

My only question is, who reads newspapers?

Yeah, as mentioned above newspapers are dying out or circulation is way way down. I suspect few people commenting here actually read the comic.

I cancelled the papers about 7 years ago because they mostly went unread.

 

[wenrob]

I don't have a video to watch. All I have is what a news article quoted without context. I see the news video which just says the same as the article. It doesn't show anything he said, just shows what they say he said as quotes. I saw a description of the poll being talked about and a screen shot of the poll. In the political sense, I fully agree with him as it seems to me he is talking about the political aspect and narrative we are in. I see him making said statements being about the political narrative, not against in general people of color in whole.

If there is another interpretation of the context, well, then it's difficult to discuss between 2 people with 2 different understandings of the incident.

Again, the only thing I have to go by is a single article with no information.

All you have to do is have yourself a Google search. You’re pretty much arguing “ignorance is bliss” here. I haven’t read any articles, I saw the video itself so have full context.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My only question is, who reads newspapers?

I mentioned earlier that I do, two daily.

 

[Jangles]

My only question is, who reads newspapers?

I do. The Times every day, the Sunday Times or Sundays and The Week. Sometimes the Telegraph, the Guardian or the Evening Standard. I am very interested in world affairs and politics. Maybe it’s an age thing?

 

[Praying Colonel]

IMHO Adams has been spiraling for a few years now.

 

[mrodgers]

All you have to do is have yourself a Google search. You’re pretty much arguing “ignorance is bliss” here. I haven’t read any articles, I saw the video itself so have full context.

Arguing with people who seem to only be focusing on a selection of words in a quote without context. No one said anything otherwise. Only that those words are racist and I responded to those people. In fact, the person I quoted and responded to specifically said, "I know nothing about the topic..." So, no, I am not arguing "ignorance is bliss." I am however arguing that someone made a definitive stance just after stating they know nothing about it.

However, other people have quoted me and argued "ignorance" with me as they are arguing something I wasn't arguing about.

 

[BrianL]

The video is like an hour long - I don't think I want to expose myself to this nonsense for an hour just to find out how offended I should be. I don't care enough to do that.

 

[mefordis]

I do. The Times every day, the Sunday Times or Sundays and The Week. Sometimes the Telegraph, the Guardian or the Evening Standard. I am very interested in world affairs and politics. Maybe it’s an age thing?

Definitely an age thing. My in laws read the NY times but they are the only ones I know who do. Most people get their world affairs and politics information digitally. I personally hate dealing with paper that I have to recycle.

 

[Rick195275]

Arguing with people who seem to only be focusing on a selection of words in a quote without context. No one said anything otherwise. Only that those words are racist and I responded to those people. In fact, the person I quoted and responded to specifically said, "I know nothing about the topic..." So, no, I am not arguing "ignorance is bliss." I am however arguing that someone made a definitive stance just after stating they know nothing about it.

However, other people have quoted me and argued "ignorance" with me as they are arguing something I wasn't arguing about.

I am the one you quoted and I didn’t argue anything with you, responded with a question trying to understand your opinion. You tried to make it political, which I am not. I stand by my statement is saying I don’t see a situation or context where telling one race to run from another is anything but hateful. Even in the worst situations spreading more hate is not the answer. As @BrianL said with a fictional character where it’s meant as satire, sure, but this was not that. I genuinely asked for you to enlighten me on what I’m missing. I’m not sure if you’re just attempting to play devils advocate or have an actual point.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I'm glad to see an overwhelming majority of respondents agree in the poll here. The statements were terrible.

 

[Disneefun]

The newspapers that dropped him made the right decision. Are any papers keeping the comic strip?

I don't think so. This morning Andrews McNeel, the distributor of the strip to newspapers, announced they are severing all ties with Adams. So unless a paper is getting the strip from somewhere other than the distributor, nope.

 

[BrianL]

I missed you responding. Just saw the other quoting of me.

I am not trying to make anything political. You have to look at everything as political these days, especially something like this, a public figure making a statement. If those that control your world are falsely attacking and hurting people based on disagreeing with them, BLM and the black narrative the media and politics are working very hard to push for example, then that statement is not hateful. It is a defensive suggestion.

Run away from this group of people because if you stay, you will be attacked by this other group of people. That's what it says to me based on a political sense and in the context of what's going on out there in the country politically, that quote makes perfect sense to me.

You, and I think Adams from what I can glean, are hinging a LOT on the word, "IF" - which is to say that the arguments goes, "IF this is true, then THIS is also true," leaving a window of interpretation to assert that the initial statement may not be true. This is pretty disingenuous though as it's very clear as to what the statement already espouses as the belief of the speaker. Also, even IF the former assertion is true, would the solution even be correct at all. I don't think so here. It's all just semantics. Why is it that people who will claim that something they said should "not be taken literally" always take everything anyone opposed to them says 100% literally?

 

[TippyThomas]

Yeah, we probably can't.