--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as I started working at the 'Los…" description: "\"As soon as I started working at the 'Los Angeles Times,' people warned me not to get too close to artists because it could make it difficult to review ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/robert-hilburn-9299_art_as-soon-as-i-started-working-at-the-los_1683489.jpg" --- # As soon as I started working at the 'Los Angeles Times,'… ![“As soon as I started working at the 'Los Angeles Times,' people warned me not to get too close to artists because it could make it difficult to review their work, and you can never really tell if the 'friendship' is genuine.” quote by Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/robert-hilburn-9299_art_as-soon-as-i-started-working-at-the-los_1683489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/robert-hilburn-9299_art_as-soon-as-i-started-working-at-the-los_1683489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/robert-hilburn-9299_art_as-soon-as-i-started-working-at-the-los_1683489.jpg) > “As soon as I started working at the 'Los Angeles Times,' people warned me not to get too close to artists because it could make it difficult to review their work, and you can never really tell if the 'friendship' is genuine.” [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Close ties with artists may bias reviews, making genuine friendship hard to discern. **In simple terms:** Friendships with subjects can cloud objectivity. Key Takeaway Maintain professional distance to preserve integrity. Themes ethics journalism relationships Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - art criticism - media ethics - networking Key Concepts Bias conflict of interest Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance friendship and critique? - Can bias ever be fully avoided? A Different Perspective Complete objectivity may be impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angeles Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angeles-times-981283/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Close Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-artists-981280/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Review](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-review-981282/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Genuine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-genuine-787956/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Review Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/review-work-981281/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I saw a story in the Los Angeles Times that 40 percent of the viewers are men. It didn't really surprise me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-denton/i-saw-a-story-in-the-los-angeles-times-that-40-percent-of-the-viewers/) [James Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-denton/) > [I sometimes look at the careers of other... I guess I could call them contemporaries or maybe close artists; you know, the 4 or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royer/i-sometimes-look-at-the-careers-of-other-i-guess-i-could-call-them/) [Mike Royer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royer/) > [I was totally ignored for a while... that's a hazard of signing with a small company who say how small they are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-snow/i-was-totally-ignored-for-a-while-that-s-a-hazard-of-signing-with-a/) [Phoebe Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-snow/) > [Friendship is genuine when two friends can enjoy each others company without speaking a word to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friendship-is-genuine-when-two-friends-can-enjoy-each-others-company/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are two kinds of friendship: one is genuine affection, the other is inability to refuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-two-kinds-of-friendship-one-is-genuine-affection-the-other/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“Sympathy is a nobler feeling than pity. But if sympathy is the principal reason that one person is drawn to another, there will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/sympathy-is-a-nobler-feeling-than-pity-but-if-sympathy-is-the/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-frick/review-your-work-you-will-find-if-you-are-honest-that-90-of-the/) [Ford Frick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-frick/) > [I don't watch a lot of my work. I'm not really interested in seeing it after I do it. Because I came from theater,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-don-t-watch-a-lot-of-my-work-i-m-not-really-interested-in-seeing-it/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [I've learned not to attach personal feelings to critics who review your work. It's their opinions, their perceptions - it's a very subjective thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bauer/i-ve-learned-not-to-attach-personal-feelings-to-critics-who-review/) [Steven Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bauer/) > [For someone who's had the level of success I've had, there's been very little critical review of my work, which is pretty fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/for-someone-who-s-had-the-level-of-success-i-ve-had-there-s-been-very/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [As far as a theoretical point of view for my generation, I'm probably the most successful theoretician. I mean, double albums and concepts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/as-far-as-a-theoretical-point-of-view-for-my-generation-i-m-probably/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [“You’re American, yes?” Daniela said. “Yes.” “New York?” “Oregon.” “Dónde?” Where? “It’s a state on the West Coast.” “Near Los Angeles?” Brigitte asked. “North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cach/you-re-american-yes-daniela-said-yes-new-york-oregon-d-nde-where-it-s/) [Lisa Cach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cach/) > [“French Polynesia embraces a vast ocean area strewn with faraway outer islands, each with a mystique of its own. The 118 islands and atolls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stanley/french-polynesia-embraces-a-vast-ocean-area-strewn-with-faraway-outer/) [David Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stanley/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) ## More by Robert Hilburn > [To many, Courtney Love smells like rock hype. Reviewers may be excited about her, but the rock audience may be skeptical of the credentials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/to-many-courtney-love-smells-like-rock-hype-reviewers-may-be-excited/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [When I began to interview people from the '60s, my first question was always, 'What was your favorite record?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/when-i-began-to-interview-people-from-the-60s-my-first-question-was/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [I didn't have any idea that Gwen Stefani would evolve into this symbol of womanhood in America, but to me, that's not a musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/i-didn-t-have-any-idea-that-gwen-stefani-would-evolve-into-this/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [When I was in high school in the '50s, all pop music - Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard - was aimed at teenagers. 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Others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/some-writers-sit-down-every-day-for-two-or-three-hours-at-least-to/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [At times, Singer Johnny Cash rubbed dirt from the earth under his fingernails in order to avoid any arrogance which might stem from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/at-times-singer-johnny-cash-rubbed-dirt-from-the-earth-under-his/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [Some people will never take Madonna seriously - just as many never took Marilyn Monroe seriously. Novelty images - especially that of a sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/some-people-will-never-take-madonna-seriously-just-as-many-never-took/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [By 27, Bob Dylan had already written 'Highway 61 Revisited,' the Beatles had released 'Rubber Soul,' Bruce Springsteen had recorded 'Born to Run' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/by-27-bob-dylan-had-already-written-highway-61-revisited-the-beatles/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [Without people like Dylan and the Beatles and people like Paul Simon, I think rock n' roll would have died out like Dixieland jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/without-people-like-dylan-and-the-beatles-and-people-like-paul-simon/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [In the role of Ziggy Stardust, Bowie seemed in 1972 like a strange alien creature, not so much coming from another planet as from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/in-the-role-of-ziggy-stardust-bowie-seemed-in-1972-like-a-strange/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [I'm guilty of being perceived as having narrow taste. I went after the artists that I thought were important - Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bruce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/i-m-guilty-of-being-perceived-as-having-narrow-taste-i-went-after-the/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) [Explore all 74 Robert Hilburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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