From Ron Rosenbaum in Slate:
Could it be that the three films are a symptom of our addiction to fables of redemptive uplift that shield us from the true dimensions of the tragedy? Redemptive uplift: It's the official religion of the media, anyway. There must be a silver lining; it's always darkest before the dawn; the human spirit will triumph over evil; there must be a pony.
That's always been the subtextual spiritual narrative of media catastrophe coverage: terrible human tragedy, but something good always can be found in it to affirm faith and hope and make us feel better. Plucky, ordinary human beings find a way to rise above the disaster. Man must prevail. The human spirit is resilient, unconquerable. Did I mention there must be a pony?
9/11 is no different. Flight 93 has become 9/11's pony....I know: I'm dark. If you can find a pony in there, let me know.
jholbo-at-mac-dot-com
Shame on him for not giving you a hat-tip on that.
Posted by: Aeon J. Skoble | April 28, 2006 at 09:59 PM
Did Belle invent pony-references or something?
Posted by: Jonathan | April 28, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Isn't it spelled "Poni! Pony! Poné!"?
(Weird, I just accidentally searched on "Poni Pony Pone" instead of "Toni Tony Tone," to check my spelling, and Google suggested I search on "poni poni pone" instead.)
Posted by: Matt Weiner | April 29, 2006 at 12:12 AM
Rosenbaum:
those intent on suicidal martyrdom may well prevail over those who value human life over holy books
Um, what? How? With the help of the underpants gnomes?
Posted by: Matt Weiner | April 29, 2006 at 12:24 AM
Pono, ponare, ponatus/a/um.
Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | April 29, 2006 at 01:30 AM
That review would have been more sensical if he'd more clearly drawn his divisions between things going wrong and things going right, or people doing good and people doing ill, rather than between us and them. Because Weiner's right, the position he takes winds up sounding apocalyptic and foolish.
Posted by: Tia | April 29, 2006 at 01:48 AM
The great schism of blogdom owes much to the ponioque.
Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | April 29, 2006 at 02:33 AM
Standpipe, Standpipe. Third principal part? Or do you mean to imply it's semi-deponent?
Posted by: Andromeda | April 29, 2006 at 04:51 AM
I have no idea, honestly.
Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | April 29, 2006 at 05:07 AM
But. (I have even less idea.)
Posted by: Matt Weiner | April 29, 2006 at 08:26 AM
Does he mean "pony" in the same way? I saw that the other day, and couldn't quite follow. I need a pony exegesis, please.
Posted by: Tyrone Slothrop | April 30, 2006 at 11:16 AM
Google "pony optimism" to find all sorts of references that pre-date Belle's. Two follow.
I really, really hope that this was just meant to point out a kindred pony-writing spirit and not function as some kind of veiled accusation of plagiarism.
1981 Jul;45(7 Spec issue):423-7. Related Articles, Links
The case for optimism: there must be a pony in here somewhere.
Mann WV Jr.
PMID: 6940876 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Optimism And The Pony
Devotional for Thursday, August 26, 1999 by Chad Janey
Psalm 31:24 - Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. (NIV)
Have you ever been around or spent time with someone who seems to find the bad side to everything?
Posted by: pony poster | May 01, 2006 at 07:57 PM
Rosenbaum's alluding to a different joke (and one that was apparently popularized by Reagan).
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Posted by: Zahid Umer | January 29, 2013 at 06:25 PM