--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know one thing - very few writers in…" description: "\"I know one thing - very few writers in Southern California get to write what they want to write. We are more or less worker ants, working for either fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/larry-gelbart-21506_ants_i-know-one-thing-very-few-writers-in-sou_1974003.jpg" --- # I know one thing - very few writers in Southern California… ![“I know one thing - very few writers in Southern California get to write what they want to write. We are more or less worker ants, working for either film companies or tv companies or Internet companies. We do a lot of assigned work. Feelings hardly ever enter into it. If they do, they tend to be…” quote by Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/larry-gelbart-21506_ants_i-know-one-thing-very-few-writers-in-sou_1974003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/larry-gelbart-21506_ants_i-know-one-thing-very-few-writers-in-sou_1974003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21f/larry-gelbart-21506_ants_i-know-one-thing-very-few-writers-in-sou_1974003.jpg) > “I know one thing - very few writers in Southern California get to write what they want to write. We are more or less worker ants, working for either film companies or tv companies or Internet companies. We do a lot of assigned work. Feelings hardly ever enter into it. If they do, they tend to be on a sort of soap opera level.” [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work in Southern California is often constrained by commercial demands, limiting personal expression. **In simple terms:** Writers are forced into assigned, formulaic projects. Key Takeaway Seek projects that align with personal voice. Themes creativity industry expression Mood frustrated reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - freelance writing - independent film - personal projects Key Concepts commercial pressure artistic compromise Questions to Reflect On - How can writers maintain authenticity within corporate settings? - What alternatives exist for artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Commercial constraints can stifle originality and fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [California Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california-write-3331763/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Soap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soap/) [Soap opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soap-opera/) [Soap operas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soap-operas/) [Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern/) [Southern california](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern-california/) [Thing Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-writers-363102/) [Tvs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tvs/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-write/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [All My Children taught me a great work ethic; you work so hard on a soap opera! It is a good way to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-larue/all-my-children-taught-me-a-great-work-ethic-you-work-so-hard-on-a/) [Eva LaRue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-larue/) > [That's why we began calling it the daily soap opera, or it's just the place on radio and TV where Democrat Party agenda is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/that-s-why-we-began-calling-it-the-daily-soap-opera-or-it-s-just-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Being an actor is a religious calling because you've been given the ability, the gift to inspire humanity. Think about that on the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-meisner/being-an-actor-is-a-religious-calling-because-you-ve-been-given-the/) [Sanford Meisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanford-meisner/) > [Most of my escapades were getting my Labrador dog into the back of my car to drive to Brooklyn where I worked at Avenue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-heche/most-of-my-escapades-were-getting-my-labrador-dog-into-the-back-of-my/) [Anne Heche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-heche/) > [Baseball is a soap opera that plays out day after day, one that a lot of elderly women watch until the characters and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/baseball-is-a-soap-opera-that-plays-out-day-after-day-one-that-a-lot/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [If life is a soap opera you shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get to the final credits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/if-life-is-a-soap-opera-you-shouldn-t-be-in-too-much-of-a-hurry-to/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The Holocaust is not a cheap soap opera. The Holocaust is not a romantic novel. It is something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-holocaust-is-not-a-cheap-soap-opera-the-holocaust-is-not-a/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Politics in a democratic society should not be treated like a baseball game, a game show or a soap opera. The times are too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/politics-in-a-democratic-society-should-not-be-treated-like-a/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [You could probably prove, by judicious use of logarithms and congruent triangles, that real life is a lot more like soap opera than most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/you-could-probably-prove-by-judicious-use-of-logarithms-and-congruent/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I am a living soap opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-graham/i-am-a-living-soap-opera/) [Virginia Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-graham/) > [Man's deliberate destruction of his own habitat -- planet Earth -- could serve as a mighty theme for a mighty book worthy of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/man-s-deliberate-destruction-of-his-own-habitat-planet-earth-could/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [During the 1970s and 1980s, the popular television soap opera As The World Turns portrayed sunrise during the opening credits and sunset during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/during-the-1970s-and-1980s-the-popular-television-soap-opera-as-the/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Life beats down and crushes our souls and theatre reminds us that we have one. At least the type of theatre that I'm interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-meisner/life-beats-down-and-crushes-our-souls-and-theatre-reminds-us-that-we/) [Sanford Meisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanford-meisner/) > [The only way to stave off boredom, in a complex domesticated primate like humankind, is to increase one's intelligence. This is not appealing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-only-way-to-stave-off-boredom-in-a-complex-domesticated-primate/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [“A soap opera character on the bar TV says, "You killed him, you smothered him with doughnuts!" Another character, another scene--she is sitting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/a-soap-opera-character-on-the-bar-tv-says-you-killed-him-you/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) ## More by Larry Gelbart > [I think the greatest imagination we can exercise is one that imagines how someone else feels. Because you know how you feel, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-think-the-greatest-imagination-we-can-exercise-is-one-that-imagines/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I am on sort of a diet in terms of the Internet. It's the sheer quantity. It's the Niagara of opinion, of information. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-am-on-sort-of-a-diet-in-terms-of-the-internet-it-s-the-sheer/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [If vaudeville had died, television was the box they put it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/if-vaudeville-had-died-television-was-the-box-they-put-it-in/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [A war is like when it rains in New York and everybody crowds into doorways. They all get chummy together perfect strangers. The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/a-war-is-like-when-it-rains-in-new-york-and-everybody-crowds-into/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [Television is a weapon of mass distractrion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/television-is-a-weapon-of-mass-distractrion/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [The subtle differences in language and humor that get lost in translation, for example, make it almost impossible for big companies to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/the-subtle-differences-in-language-and-humor-that-get-lost-in/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [Today's audience knows more about what's on television than what's in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/today-s-audience-knows-more-about-what-s-on-television-than-what-s-in/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I don't think you can name a good picture where the production or the possible promotion isn't "cast-contingent." That means the film needs not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-don-t-think-you-can-name-a-good-picture-where-the-production-or-the/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I write what I write and I honestly don't care if it gets on or not. I'm writing to see if I can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-write-what-i-write-and-i-honestly-don-t-care-if-it-gets-on-or-not-i/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I think technology is such that we can reach new heights but we need some of the basics of the pre-technological age. It's counter-productive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-think-technology-is-such-that-we-can-reach-new-heights-but-we-need/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I never watched Friends, maybe because it was written by people straight out of college…The only way to avoid age discrimination in Hollywood is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-never-watched-friends-maybe-because-it-was-written-by-people/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [Reality television is less honest than YouTube. YouTube is the real reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/reality-television-is-less-honest-than-youtube-youtube-is-the-real/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [I refuse to do anything easy. I'm writing for the smartest person out there. I'm not equating myself with the smartest person out there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/i-refuse-to-do-anything-easy-i-m-writing-for-the-smartest-person-out/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [One doesn't have a sense of humor. It has you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/one-doesn-t-have-a-sense-of-humor-it-has-you/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) > [You can write something that has continuity, but it makes happy endings all the more ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gelbart/you-can-write-something-that-has-continuity-but-it-makes-happy/) [Larry Gelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) [Explore all 29 Larry Gelbart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gelbart/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know one thing - very few writers in Southern California get to write what they want to write. We are more or less worker ants, working for either film companies or tv companies or Internet companies. We do a lot of assigned work. Feelings hardly ever enter into it. 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