The Pony Remark
Encyclopedia
"The Pony Remark" is the second episode of the second season
of the NBC
sitcom Seinfeld
, and the seventh episode
overall. The episode was written by series co-creators Jerry Seinfeld
and Larry David
, based on a remark David made once.
Protagonist
Jerry Seinfeld
, at a relative's 50th anniversary dinner, makes a tactless remark about hating anybody who had a pony when they were a child. His remark upsets the female guest-of-honor, causing her to storm out in anger. When the woman dies shortly after the dinner, Jerry and his friends wonder if the pony remark had something to do with her death.
The episode featured the first appearance of Jerry's uncle Leo (Len Lesser
), who became a recurring character on the show. The episode also featured the first appearance of Barney Martin as Morty Seinfeld, replacing actor Phil Bruns
who had portrayed Morty in the season 1 episode "The Stake Out". "The Pony Remark" aired on January 30, 1991, and gained a Nielsen rating
of 10.7/16. It gained positive responses from critics and The New York Times
considers the episode a turning point for the show.
) and Morty Seinfeld (Barney Martin) visit Jerry in New York City
on their way to the 50th anniversary dinner of their second cousin Manya (Rozsika Halmos) and her husband Isaac (David Fresco). Though Jerry does not want to go, his parents persuade him to go anyway. During the dinner he remarks, "I hate anyone who ever had a pony
when they were growing up!", to which Manya reacts angrily because she had a pony when she was growing up in Poland
. Jerry tries to apologize, but Manya gets even more angry and leaves the table. After the dinner, when Jerry's parents are about to leave, Jerry receives a phone call from his uncle Leo, who informs him that his great-aunt has died. Jerry and his friends George Costanza
(Jason Alexander
) and Elaine Benes
(Julia Louis-Dreyfus
) speculate as to whether his comment may have been a factor.
The funeral is held on the same day that Jerry has a softball
championship, and he has difficulty deciding whether to go to her funeral, much to the disgust of Elaine. Jerry ends up going to the funeral, where he, again, apologizes for his remark. Isaac informs him that Manya had forgotten Jerry made the remark. Elaine asks Isaac multiple times about what is going to happen with their apartment, Isaac eventually tells her that Jerry's cousin Jeffrey is going to live in it. When it starts to rain Jerry realizes that the game will be postponed. The following day, after the game, Jerry, George and Elaine go meet at Monk's Cafe
, where they discuss the lousy way Jerry played softball. Elaine states she wonders if Manya's spirit put a spell on him.
In a subplot
, Jerry and his neighbour Cosmo Kramer
(Michael Richards
) bet over whether or not Kramer will rebuild his apartment so that it has multiple flat wooden levels instead of needing furniture. Kramer changes his mind and decides not to build levels, but refuses to pay Jerry, arguing that since he did not attempt it, the bet was invalid.
, deliberately made Elaine sit at a smaller table while directing the dinner scene. "The Pony Remark" was the first episode in which Kramer wants to gamble, it is later established that he has a gambling addiction. The idea of Elaine asking Isaac what is going to happen with his old apartment was added during rehearsals. The first table reading
of the episode was held on October 24, 1990, and a run through was held two days later. "The Pony Remark" was filmed in front of a live audience on October 30, 1990, while Seinfeld's stand-up routine was filmed one day earlier, along with the performances used in "The Ex-Girlfriend
" and "The Busboy
"; Seinfeld would change wardrobe between takes.
"The Pony Remark" featured the second appearance of Helen and Morty Seinfeld, who had previously appeared in the season 1
episode "The Stake Out". In "The Stakeout", Morty was portrayed by Phil Bruns
, however, David and Seinfeld decided they wanted the character to be harsher, and re-cast him with Barney Martin, who auditioned for the part on October 15, 1990 at 12.45PM. Martin was unaware that another actor had already established the part. Helen was portrayed by Liz Sheridan, in an early draft of the episode her name was Adele, though this did not match her name from "The Stakeout". It was later changed back to Helen. The episode also introduced Jerry's uncle Leo, portrayed by Len Lesser, who was known for his acting in gangster films, and also The Outlaw Josey Wales
and Kelly's Heroes
. When Lesser auditioned for the part on October 22, 1990, he got a lot of laughs from David, Seinfeld and casting director Marc Herschfield, but did not understand why, because he did not think his lines were funny. Herschfield stated that when Lesser had auditioned it was very clear that he was the right actor for the part. David Fresco guest starred in the episode as Isaac, he had some difficulty with his lines in the episode, and would sometimes burst into laughter during filming. Other actors that guest starred in the episode were Rozsika Halmos, who portrayed Manya and Milt Oberman, who played the funeral director.
of 10.7 and an audience share of 16, this means that 10.7% of American households watched the episode, and that 16% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it. The episode gained two Primetime Emmy Award
nominations; Seinfeld and David were nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
and Cherones was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
. Though the episode did not won either of its Emmy nominations, Seinfeld was praised for co-hosting the Emmy telecast.
Dave Kehr of The New York Times
felt that "The Pony Remark" was a turning point for the show, stating that after the first few episodes, the show "turn[ed] into something sharp and distinctive Here, suddenly, is the tight knot of guilt and denial, of hypersensitivity and sarcastic contempt that Seinfeld would explore for the next eight years." Holly Ordway of DVD Talk
considered the episode the best episode of Seinfelds second season. "The Pony Remark" is considered one of Seinfelds "classic episodes". Writing for Entertainment Weekly
, critics Mike Flaherty and Mary Kaye Schilling called the episode "Seinfeld at its mordant best" and graded it with an A-.
In the book Something Ain't Kosher Here: The rise of the "Jewish" sitcom Vincent Brook analysed the episode saying "Jerry is made to feel guilty for his 'lethal' pony remark, whence the episode's macabre humor; yet the moral in terms of ethno-spatial identity is clear. In its violent rejection of Manya, Seinfeld has driven descent-based ethnicities (and their legacy of privation and self-sacrifice) off the face of the earth, and literally off the air. There is no place for traditional Jewishness in the hedonistic Seinfeld world, "The Pony Remark" vociferously proclaims."
Seinfeld (season 2)
Season two of Seinfeld, an American television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on January 23, 1991, on NBC. Because of the commencement of the first Gulf War, the second season's premiere was postponed one week. The season comprised 12 episodes, and concluded its...
of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, and the seventh episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
overall. The episode was written by series co-creators Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
and Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
, based on a remark David made once.
Protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist of the American television sitcom Seinfeld . The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself.The series revolves around...
, at a relative's 50th anniversary dinner, makes a tactless remark about hating anybody who had a pony when they were a child. His remark upsets the female guest-of-honor, causing her to storm out in anger. When the woman dies shortly after the dinner, Jerry and his friends wonder if the pony remark had something to do with her death.
The episode featured the first appearance of Jerry's uncle Leo (Len Lesser
Len Lesser
Leonard King "Len" Lesser was an American actor. He was known for a key role in the Clint Eastwood movie Kelly's Heroes and his recurring role as Uncle Leo in Seinfeld, which began during the show's second season in "The Pony Remark" episode.-Early life:Lesser was born in The Bronx in 1922...
), who became a recurring character on the show. The episode also featured the first appearance of Barney Martin as Morty Seinfeld, replacing actor Phil Bruns
Phil Bruns
Philip Bruns is an American television actor and writer.Bruns was born in Pipestone, Minnesota. He is known for his portrayal of the character of Morty Seinfeld in the sitcom Seinfeld, but he was replaced in the role by Barney Martin because the show's co-creator Larry David thought the character...
who had portrayed Morty in the season 1 episode "The Stake Out". "The Pony Remark" aired on January 30, 1991, and gained a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 10.7/16. It gained positive responses from critics and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
considers the episode a turning point for the show.
Plot
Jerry's parents Helen Seinfeld (Liz SheridanLiz Sheridan
Elizabeth "Liz" Sheridan is an American actress.-Background:Sheridan was born in New York City, the daughter of Elizabeth Poole-Jones, a concert singer, and Frank Sheridan, a classical pianist. Sheridan began her career as a dancer working in New York City in nightclubs and musicals. There, she...
) and Morty Seinfeld (Barney Martin) visit Jerry in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on their way to the 50th anniversary dinner of their second cousin Manya (Rozsika Halmos) and her husband Isaac (David Fresco). Though Jerry does not want to go, his parents persuade him to go anyway. During the dinner he remarks, "I hate anyone who ever had a pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
when they were growing up!", to which Manya reacts angrily because she had a pony when she was growing up in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Jerry tries to apologize, but Manya gets even more angry and leaves the table. After the dinner, when Jerry's parents are about to leave, Jerry receives a phone call from his uncle Leo, who informs him that his great-aunt has died. Jerry and his friends George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
(Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
) and Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes
Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
(Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
) speculate as to whether his comment may have been a factor.
The funeral is held on the same day that Jerry has a softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
championship, and he has difficulty deciding whether to go to her funeral, much to the disgust of Elaine. Jerry ends up going to the funeral, where he, again, apologizes for his remark. Isaac informs him that Manya had forgotten Jerry made the remark. Elaine asks Isaac multiple times about what is going to happen with their apartment, Isaac eventually tells her that Jerry's cousin Jeffrey is going to live in it. When it starts to rain Jerry realizes that the game will be postponed. The following day, after the game, Jerry, George and Elaine go meet at Monk's Cafe
Monk's Cafe
Monk's Café is a fictional coffee shop from the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The exterior of Tom's Restaurant on the corner of West 112th Street and Broadway, near Columbia University, is often shown on the show as the exterior of Monk's, though the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The coffee shop is...
, where they discuss the lousy way Jerry played softball. Elaine states she wonders if Manya's spirit put a spell on him.
In a subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, Jerry and his neighbour Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards...
(Michael Richards
Michael Richards
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
) bet over whether or not Kramer will rebuild his apartment so that it has multiple flat wooden levels instead of needing furniture. Kramer changes his mind and decides not to build levels, but refuses to pay Jerry, arguing that since he did not attempt it, the bet was invalid.
Production
Seinfeld co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote the episode, which was based on a remark David once made during a conversation. The episode's director, Tom CheronesTom Cherones
Tom Cherones is an American director and producer of several TV series.-Early life:He grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where his father operated a radio and TV repair shop. His grandfather was a Greek immigrant. From 1961 to 1965, he was a lieutenant in the United States Navy...
, deliberately made Elaine sit at a smaller table while directing the dinner scene. "The Pony Remark" was the first episode in which Kramer wants to gamble, it is later established that he has a gambling addiction. The idea of Elaine asking Isaac what is going to happen with his old apartment was added during rehearsals. The first table reading
Read-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted....
of the episode was held on October 24, 1990, and a run through was held two days later. "The Pony Remark" was filmed in front of a live audience on October 30, 1990, while Seinfeld's stand-up routine was filmed one day earlier, along with the performances used in "The Ex-Girlfriend
The Ex-Girlfriend
"The Ex-Girlfriend" is the first episode of the sitcom Seinfelds second season on NBC, and is the show's sixth episode overall. The episode first broadcast in the United States on January 23, 1991, after being postponed for one week due to the start of the First Gulf War...
" and "The Busboy
The Busboy
"The Busboy" was the seventeenth episode of Seinfeld to air, despite being the eighth produced. The episode was the 12th and final episode of the show's second season. It aired on June 26, 1991.-Plot:...
"; Seinfeld would change wardrobe between takes.
"The Pony Remark" featured the second appearance of Helen and Morty Seinfeld, who had previously appeared in the season 1
Seinfeld (season 1)
Season one of Seinfeld, an American television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on July 5, 1989 on NBC. Originally called The Seinfeld Chronicles, the series' name was shortened to Seinfeld to avoid confusion with another sitcom called The Marshall Chronicles...
episode "The Stake Out". In "The Stakeout", Morty was portrayed by Phil Bruns
Phil Bruns
Philip Bruns is an American television actor and writer.Bruns was born in Pipestone, Minnesota. He is known for his portrayal of the character of Morty Seinfeld in the sitcom Seinfeld, but he was replaced in the role by Barney Martin because the show's co-creator Larry David thought the character...
, however, David and Seinfeld decided they wanted the character to be harsher, and re-cast him with Barney Martin, who auditioned for the part on October 15, 1990 at 12.45PM. Martin was unaware that another actor had already established the part. Helen was portrayed by Liz Sheridan, in an early draft of the episode her name was Adele, though this did not match her name from "The Stakeout". It was later changed back to Helen. The episode also introduced Jerry's uncle Leo, portrayed by Len Lesser, who was known for his acting in gangster films, and also The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
and Kelly's Heroes
Kelly's Heroes
Kelly's Heroes is an offbeat 1970 comedy/war film about a group of World War II soldiers who go AWOL to rob a bank behind enemy lines. Directed by Brian G...
. When Lesser auditioned for the part on October 22, 1990, he got a lot of laughs from David, Seinfeld and casting director Marc Herschfield, but did not understand why, because he did not think his lines were funny. Herschfield stated that when Lesser had auditioned it was very clear that he was the right actor for the part. David Fresco guest starred in the episode as Isaac, he had some difficulty with his lines in the episode, and would sometimes burst into laughter during filming. Other actors that guest starred in the episode were Rozsika Halmos, who portrayed Manya and Milt Oberman, who played the funeral director.
Reception
On January 30, 1991, "The Pony Remark" was first broadcast on American television. It gained a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 10.7 and an audience share of 16, this means that 10.7% of American households watched the episode, and that 16% of all televisions in use at the time were tuned into it. The episode gained two Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nominations; Seinfeld and David were nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series is an annual award presented as part of the Primetime Emmy Awards. It recognizes writing excellence in regular comedic series, most of which can generally be described as situation comedies.Though this category is the dominant one...
and Cherones was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series is an Emmy presented to the best directing of a television comedy series.-1960s:*1960: Ralph Levy / Bud Yorkin – Jack Benny Hour Specials...
. Though the episode did not won either of its Emmy nominations, Seinfeld was praised for co-hosting the Emmy telecast.
Dave Kehr of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
felt that "The Pony Remark" was a turning point for the show, stating that after the first few episodes, the show "turn[ed] into something sharp and distinctive Here, suddenly, is the tight knot of guilt and denial, of hypersensitivity and sarcastic contempt that Seinfeld would explore for the next eight years." Holly Ordway of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
considered the episode the best episode of Seinfelds second season. "The Pony Remark" is considered one of Seinfelds "classic episodes". Writing for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, critics Mike Flaherty and Mary Kaye Schilling called the episode "Seinfeld at its mordant best" and graded it with an A-.
In the book Something Ain't Kosher Here: The rise of the "Jewish" sitcom Vincent Brook analysed the episode saying "Jerry is made to feel guilty for his 'lethal' pony remark, whence the episode's macabre humor; yet the moral in terms of ethno-spatial identity is clear. In its violent rejection of Manya, Seinfeld has driven descent-based ethnicities (and their legacy of privation and self-sacrifice) off the face of the earth, and literally off the air. There is no place for traditional Jewishness in the hedonistic Seinfeld world, "The Pony Remark" vociferously proclaims."