"The competition is pretty rough these days"
About this Quote
The intent is practical: to name what everyone in entertainment feels without turning it into complaint. Randall’s phrasing chooses softness ("pretty") and vagueness ("these days"), which does two things at once. It invites camaraderie - yes, you know what I mean - and it sidesteps blaming any single villain. The subtext is more pointed: the market has become louder, faster, more crowded, and less forgiving. The old promises of steady work, a ladder you could climb, a career built on accumulated skill - those are implied to be eroding.
Context matters because Randall’s era bridged studio-system stability, the rise of television, and the later churn of celebrity culture. An actor from his generation saw the supply of aspiring talent explode while the gatekeepers multiplied and the metrics got crueler. "Rough" can mean auditions, but it also means exposure: you’re always being measured, always replaceable, always competing not just with peers but with the algorithmic idea of what sells. The line works because it’s humble, but it’s also a warning disguised as small talk.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Randall, Tony. (2026, January 16). The competition is pretty rough these days. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-competition-is-pretty-rough-these-days-129439/
Chicago Style
Randall, Tony. "The competition is pretty rough these days." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-competition-is-pretty-rough-these-days-129439/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The competition is pretty rough these days." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-competition-is-pretty-rough-these-days-129439/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







