In a story, any line of dialogue or plot development intended to be humorous or dramatic that instead has a negative impact because it exhibits some or all of the following characteristics:
1) It is awkwardly phrased, excessively wordy and/or repetitive
2) It creates glaring plot holes and derails established characterization
3) It is highly self-indulgent and/or self-congratulatory, drawing attention to itself instead of fitting smoothly into the narrative
Pontaffisms differ from instances of narm in that narmy things are unintentionally amusing whereas pontaffisms are unintentionally painful, obnoxious and/or rage-inducing.
1) It is awkwardly phrased, excessively wordy and/or repetitive
2) It creates glaring plot holes and derails established characterization
3) It is highly self-indulgent and/or self-congratulatory, drawing attention to itself instead of fitting smoothly into the narrative
Pontaffisms differ from instances of narm in that narmy things are unintentionally amusing whereas pontaffisms are unintentionally painful, obnoxious and/or rage-inducing.
The games Sonic Colors and Sonic Lost World are filled with pontaffisms, such as "Baldy McNosehair", "Did somebody order an extra-large clobbering with everything?" and "The only thing that's getting conquered is your face!" These make the cutscenes almost unbearable for many people.
by Concerned Writer #37,524 October 20, 2013