Editing Scott Adams (section)

===Full-time cartoonist and author===
Adams' success grew, and he became a full-time cartoonist as ''Dilbert'' reached 800 newspapers. In 1996, his first business book, ''The Dilbert Principle'', was released. It expounded on his concept of the [[Dilbert principle]].<ref name="2.0"/>

In 1997, Adams won the [[National Cartoonists Society]]'s Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist and Best Newspaper Comic Strip.<ref name="2.0" /> [[Logitech]] CEO [[Pierluigi Zappacosta]] invited Adams to impersonate a management consultant, which he did wearing a wig and false mustache. He tricked Logitech managers into adopting a [[mission statement]] that Adams described as "so impossibly complicated that it has no real content whatsoever".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |date=November 16, 1997 |title=Dilbert Creator Fools Execs With Soap Story |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971116&slug=2572663 |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=[[The Seattle Times]] |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215052852/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971116&slug=2572663 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Tia |date=November 16, 1997 |title=Mission: Impertinent |work=[[San Jose Mercury News]] |url=http://www7.mercurycenter.com/archives/dilbert/mission_index.html |url-status=dead |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817044342/http://www7.mercurycenter.com/archives/dilbert/mission_index.html |archive-date=August 17, 2000}}</ref> His writing in ''[[San Jose Mercury News West Magazine]]'' regarding the incident earned him an [[Orwell Award]].<ref name="Orwell" /> By 2000, the comic was in 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries and 19 languages.<ref name="2.0" />

His comic strips were adapted as a [[Dilbert (TV series)|''Dilbert'' TV series]], which debuted in January 1999 and ran for two seasons on [[UPN]]. Adams served as executive producer and showrunner, along with ''[[Seinfeld]]'' writer [[Larry Charles]]. The show earned a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] in 1999. Adams later said that the show had been canceled because he was [[White people|white]] and UPN had made a decision to shift toward [[African Americans|African-American]] viewers.<ref name="Hypnotized" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 29, 2020 |title='Dilbert' creator Scott Adams: 'I lost my TV show for being white' |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/dilbert-creator-scott-adams-i-lost-my-tv-show-for-being-white |access-date=July 1, 2020 |website=[[The Mercury News]] |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308195114/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/06/29/dilbert-creator-scott-adams-i-lost-my-tv-show-for-being-white/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition to his cartoon work, Adams has written books in various other areas, including self-improvement and religion.<ref name="Hypnotized" /> His book ''[[God's Debris]]'' (2001) lays out a theory of [[pandeism]], in which God blows itself up to see what will happen, which becomes the cause of our universe.<ref>Knujon Mapson, "A Brief History of Pandeism," ''Pandeism: An Anthology'' (2017), p. 31-32.</ref> In ''[[The Religion War]]'' (2004), Adams suggests that followers of theistic religions such as [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]] are subconsciously aware that their religions are false, and that this awareness is reflected in their consistently acting as if these religions, and their threats of damnation for sinners, are false. In a 2017 interview, Adams said that his books on religion, not ''Dilbert'', would be his ultimate legacy.<ref name="Hypnotized" />

On a February 22, 2023 livestream of his ''Real Coffee with Scott Adams'' program, Adams reacted to a poll that asked if respondents agreed that "[[it's okay to be white]]",<ref>{{cite web |date=February 26, 2023 |title=Media drop Dilbert after creator's Black 'hate group' remark |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/26/dilbert-scott-adams-dropped-00084450 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226223004/https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/26/dilbert-scott-adams-dropped-00084450 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |accessdate=February 27, 2023 |website=[[Politico]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name="CBS-80">{{Cite web |last=Picchi |first=Aimee |date=February 28, 2023 |title=Dilbert creator Scott Adams was a comic-strip star. After racist comments, he says he's lost 80% of his income. |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-adams-dilbert-newspapers-cancelled-comic-strip/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305162715/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-adams-dilbert-newspapers-cancelled-comic-strip/ |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> a phrase described by the [[Anti-Defamation League]] as associated with the white supremacist movement.<ref name="hyperbole" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=February 26, 2023 |title=Dilbert cartoon dropped by US newspapers over creator's racist comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/26/dilbert-cartoon-dropped-by-us-newspapers-over-creators-racist-comments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227001401/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/26/dilbert-cartoon-dropped-by-us-newspapers-over-creators-racist-comments |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |access-date=February 27, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> The poll showed 26% of black respondents disagreed with the statement and 21% were not sure.<ref name="Dropped-NPR">{{cite web |last1=Del Barco |first1=Mandalit |date=February 26, 2023 |title=Distributor, newspapers drop 'Dilbert' comic strip after creator's racist rant |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/02/26/1159580425/newspapers-have-dropped-the-dilbert-comic-strip-after-a-racist-rant-by-its-creat |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304185414/https://www.npr.org/2023/02/26/1159580425/newspapers-have-dropped-the-dilbert-comic-strip-after-a-racist-rant-by-its-creat |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Adams, upset that nearly half did not agree, described black people as a "[[hate group]]" and said "the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people; just get the fuck away."<ref name="Episode 2027" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Martha |date=February 23, 2023 |title='Dilbert's' Scott Adams: 'White people should get the hell away from Black people' |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/02/23/dilberts-scott-adams-white-people-should-get-the-hell-away-from-black-people |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223231908/https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/02/23/dilberts-scott-adams-white-people-should-get-the-hell-away-from-black-people/ |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Mercury News]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=February 25, 2023 |title='Dilbert' Comic Strip Dropped by Newspapers Over Scott Adams 'Racist Rant' |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/dilbert-canceled-newspapers-scott-adams-racist-1235535643/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225131009/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/dilbert-canceled-newspapers-scott-adams-racist-1235535643/ |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |access-date=February 25, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

In response to these and other related comments, ''Dilbert'' was dropped by numerous newspapers across the country, including the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', ''[[The Washington Post]]'', and ''[[USA Today]]''-affiliated newspapers.<ref name="Dropped-NPR" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Floyd |first1=Thomas |last2=Cavna |first2=Michael |date=February 25, 2023 |title='Dilbert' dropped by The Post, other papers, after cartoonist's racist rant |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/02/25/scott-adams-dilbert-canceled/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225220732/https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/02/25/scott-adams-dilbert-canceled/ |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |access-date=February 25, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=February 26, 2023 |title=Dilbert cartoon dropped by US newspapers over creator's racist comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/26/dilbert-cartoon-dropped-by-us-newspapers-over-creators-racist-comments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226045653/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/26/dilbert-cartoon-dropped-by-us-newspapers-over-creators-racist-comments |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=February 26, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> [[Andrews McMeel Syndication]], the distributor of ''Dilbert'', announced on February 27, 2023, that it was severing all ties with Adams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lieb |first=David |date=February 27, 2023 |title=Dilbert distributor severs ties to creator over race remarks |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dilbert-distributor-severs-ties-creator-073427520.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227135829/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dilbert-distributor-severs-ties-creator-073427520.html |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |access-date=February 27, 2023 |website=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref><ref name="Dropped-NPR" /> [[Portfolio (publisher)|Portfolio]], his book publisher, announced it was dropping his non-''Dilbert'' book that was scheduled for release that September.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Trachtenberg |first1=Jeffrey A. |date=February 27, 2023 |title=Publisher Drops Plan to Release Book From 'Dilbert' Creator Scott Adams |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/publisher-drops-plan-to-release-book-from-dilbert-creator-scott-adams-3b68813e |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228035940/https://www.wsj.com/articles/publisher-drops-plan-to-release-book-from-dilbert-creator-scott-adams-3b68813e |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref name="drop-CNN">{{cite web |last1=Passantino |first1=Jon |last2=Darcy |first2=Oliver |date=February 27, 2023 |title='Dilbert' distributor and book publisher drop creator Scott Adams over his racist remarks |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/media/dilbert-distributor-scott-adams/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305152225/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/media/dilbert-distributor-scott-adams/index.html |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Adams defended his remarks as [[hyperbole]] and as taken out of context in reportage; he disavowed racism and asserted that nobody would disagree with what he said were his main points: don't discriminate and avoid things that look like they will put you at risk.<ref name="hyperbole" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Harpaz |first=Beth |date=March 3, 2023 |title='Dilbert' cartoon creator once questioned the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust |url=https://forward.com/fast-forward/538571/dilbert-cartoon-creator-scott-adams-holocaust-blog/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304010456/https://forward.com/fast-forward/538571/dilbert-cartoon-creator-scott-adams-holocaust-blog/ |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |access-date=March 4, 2023 |website=[[The Forward]] |language=en}}</ref> On March 13, Adams relaunched ''Dilbert'' as ''Dilbert Reborn'' on the subscription website [[Locals]], minus the earlier Dilbert comics.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cavana |first1=Michael |last2=Chery |first2=Samantha |date=March 6, 2023 |title=The bewildering descent of Scott Adams and 'Dilbert' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/comics/2023/03/06/scott-adams-dilbert-cartoon-controversy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306101706/https://www.washingtonpost.com/comics/2023/03/06/scott-adams-dilbert-cartoon-controversy/ |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=March 6, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Coffee With Scott Adams: Dilbert Reborn 3-13-23 |url=https://scottadams.locals.com/post/3665025/dilbert-reborn-3-13-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314072322/https://scottadams.locals.com/post/3665025/dilbert-reborn-3-13-23 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |access-date=March 21, 2023 |website=Locals}}</ref>