Hey Tim Wakefield,
Is it fair to say I liked you from the beginning? Yes, yes it is.
I was 15 years old when you first started playing for the Red Sox and fuckmewow, that’s a long ass time.
It’s also fair to say that you have also been one of my favourite players during that tenure. Always a class act, never embroiled in scandal and I totally dig that-there funny pitch you throw.
So when the news came down that you were retiring well, I was sad…and on the toilet.
See, my PiC thought it was important that I be told this news as soon as possible and that meant as soon as I woke up. That meant him knocking on the bathroom door, handing me his mobile phone with the article open and saying ‘read this, it’s sad’.
So there I am, first thing in the morning, crying at the news…mid-plop.
I have to apologise Mister Wakefield, the incredibly emotional memory of your retirement announcement will forever be tainted by the previous night’s chicken burger & beer (coincidence?).
I suppose though it’ll be one of those things. I’ll always remember where I was in ’04 and ’07. And I’ll definitely always remember where I was when you announced your retirement.
Anyway, all that aside, I really just want to say thank you. You went out as you played, a true gentleman.
Deepest thanks and Xo,
-platy
Ernst spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the criticisms on social media, saying he was “saddened” and “confused” over the overwhelmingly negative comments. “We don’t really understand it. We never intended for this to be a marketing gimmick,” he said.
He also brought up Carrie Fisher’s appearance in the new Star Wars as an example of a way this posthumous CGI work can be done well, apparently missing the difference between honoring Fisher’s legacy in a role she was already scheduled to play and plopping James Dean in some random war movie half a century after his death.
When discussing whether resurrecting Dean digitally crosses a line with regards to posthumous casting, Ernst explained, “Anyone that is brought back to life – you have to respect them.” He noted Fisher’s posthumous appearances in the Star Wars franchise, saying that if the actress had expressed never wanting to be in a film after her death, or if her legacy or that of the franchise could be “tarnished” because of her casting, “then that should be a line.”
“I think the line should be … you must always honor the deceased’s wishes and try to act in a way that is honorable and full of dignity,” Ernst said.
Again, this is extremely different, since Dean could never have stated he didn’t want to appear in a film after his death because, uh, how would he have imagined that was even a possibility-but whatever. Finding Jack is still headed into production with an expected release on November 11, 2020, whether we like it or not.
