"But it's true, it's nothing new that decisions about what movies are to be made, and how they're to be made, and who's to be hired to do what, and whether you hire somebody to do their job, or whether you hire somebody to fill a position, and you tell them what to do"
About this Quote
Jones’s intent is almost disarmingly modest: “it’s nothing new.” That shrug is a defense mechanism and an indictment. He’s acknowledging an open secret in the film business: the most consequential “creative” choices are often managerial ones. What gets greenlit, who gets hired, whether a person is valued for craft or merely slotted into a role and managed like interchangeable labor. That last pivot - hiring someone “to do their job” versus hiring them “to fill a position and you tell them what to do” - is the real sting. It’s a distinction between authorship and obedience, between collaboration and compliance.
The subtext is about power, not taste. Hollywood loves the mythology of inspired artists shepherding visions, but Jones is describing a factory that occasionally produces art. His language flattens the romance: movies are “made,” people are “hired,” tasks are “filled.” In that framing, actors aren’t muses; they’re variables in a system designed to minimize risk. The cynicism lands because it’s banal. He’s not exposing a scandal; he’s naming the everyday mechanism that quietly decides what stories we’re allowed to see and who gets to tell them.
Quote Details
| Topic | Decision-Making |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Jones, Jeffrey. (2026, February 18). But it's true, it's nothing new that decisions about what movies are to be made, and how they're to be made, and who's to be hired to do what, and whether you hire somebody to do their job, or whether you hire somebody to fill a position, and you tell them what to do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-its-true-its-nothing-new-that-decisions-about-86180/
Chicago Style
Jones, Jeffrey. "But it's true, it's nothing new that decisions about what movies are to be made, and how they're to be made, and who's to be hired to do what, and whether you hire somebody to do their job, or whether you hire somebody to fill a position, and you tell them what to do." FixQuotes. February 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-its-true-its-nothing-new-that-decisions-about-86180/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"But it's true, it's nothing new that decisions about what movies are to be made, and how they're to be made, and who's to be hired to do what, and whether you hire somebody to do their job, or whether you hire somebody to fill a position, and you tell them what to do." FixQuotes, 18 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-its-true-its-nothing-new-that-decisions-about-86180/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.



