Goodbye Michaela Watkins

To paraphrase the Beatles, “I heard the news today, oh boy.” It appears that Michaela Watkins has been fired by television’s oldest dinosaur, Saturday Night Live.  One year of work apparently wasn’t good enough to save her from the axe.

Various reports say that executive Lorne Michaels explained that she was released because she is good enough to carry her own show. If you buy that explanation than we need to talk because I have a bridge and some swampland that you should look to invest in.

Really, buy these properties and you’ll be on your way to becoming the next Donald Trump.

Of course Watkins can take solace in knowing that she was released from a show whose best years took place last century. Some people would argue that being a part of a show that has been airing for decades is an honor and a tribute to their ability.

But then again such commentary is similar to saying that you hit a home run off of an 85 year old Bob Feller or that you knocked out an ailing Muhammad Ali.

When you get beyond the cachet that comes with the name you find out that the emperor has no clothes. So in the end you have to ask yourself whether there is any real significance to your feat.

Fortunately for Watkins television is the province of the narrow minded, provincial and fearful. We’re speaking about television executives. More often then not they resort to cannibalizing old ideas and or remaking the same bad series in seven different ways.

That means that someone who starred on a show, even one as worn out as SNL has a good shot to get picked up by another. So hang tough Watkins, someone will pay big money for you to be a part of their mediocrity.

The good news for you is that you’ll be able to use that opportunity to prove that you are just as mediocre as the rest of them, or maybe not.