Deathcam Rudeness: a guide to taunt impoliteness level

This guide will tell you which taunts are considered offensive, and which ones - friendly!

Introduction

So, you came here to learn about taunts, right?
There is a wide variety of taunts available in TF2, which increased drastically with the recent Love & War Update. They are usually used either for goofing around or pulling them off straight into someone's deathcam after killing them as a way of saying "get rekt scrub", "owned", "i'm 2 pr0 4 u" etc, which is far from polite and a lot of people (including me) get pissed off seeing something like this. However, not all taunts are considered offensive, and this guide will evaluate taunt by how impolite they are.
So, let's get started!

Friendly taunts

So, we start with those ones. The ones that aren't offensive, and more often than not express friendliness towards someone you just killed. It's basically a way of saying "Hey there, I just killed you! Let's be friends!".
Those taunts include:

• High Five
  
• Conga
  
• Square Dance
  
• Skullcracker
  
• Flippin' Awesome
  
• Rock, Paper, Scissors

Showing those taunts into the deathcam is perfectly okay and the other party shouldn't feel insulted.

Mildly impolite taunts

The ones that aren't friendly, but also aren't incredibly annoying. They are the way of saying "Owned! Now go train some more!". This category includes most of the action taunts, such as:

• Director's Vision
  
• Battin' A Thousand
  
• Deep Fried Desire
  
• Fresh Brewed Victory
  
• Party Trick
  
• Spent Well Spirits
  
• Oblooterated
  
• Rancho Relaxo
  
• Meet the Medic
  
• Results Are In
  
• I See You
  
• Buy A Life
  
• Shred Alert

Show those into the deathcam if you want to tell your victim how much better you are, but don't want to make them angry.

Frikkin' annoying taunts

You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones that not only express someone's superiority, but also make fun of YOU, your skills, your behaviour, your gear, your mother, or whatever else comes into mind. Those are the ones that are very likely to piss off pretty much everyone (unless they already got used to it). They are the way of saying "Oh, look how bad you are! It's laughable!". The ones I'm talking about are:

• ALL the weapon taunts - Mostly because that means the offender has nothing better to taunt, and also because they tend to include some of the most annoying and overused ones. Tauntkills are especially offensive. (Exceptions include Scout's Bonk/Cola drinking, Heavy's Sandvich nomming, Eureka Effect teleport taunt, Kritzkrieg's Oktoberfest and Amputator's Medicating Melody, mostly because those are utility taunts whose purpose is buffing up, not making fun of you.)
  
• Schadenfreude - I don't have to say anything here. The guy using this is literally laughing at your pain. The kinds of people who use this are complete jerks, no questions about it.

Please, don't use those taunts, unless the person you just killed is very impolite or offensive and deserves it.

Some general taunting rules

• Never be an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Do it only if the person you just killed deserves it (kills others while a Halloween boss is out, for example) and even then, throwing a friendly taunt will make it much less offensive.
  
• Never, I say, NEVER taunt after a random crit or during humiliation. You'll be cementing in the fact that luck beats skill.
  
• Likewise if you backstab/headshot someone as a Spy/Sniper. People will be annoyed enough by the sudden, unexpected death, and laughing in his face will make him hate you. Even more so than that jester on the pic.
  
• Don't Schadenfreude into any deathcam. Ever. Unless you want that person to hate your guts and hunt your head down.

Conclusion

I know this is a short guide, but I just wanted to make the topic of taunt etiquette clear.
Good luck on your missions, merc, and remember - be polite, like a professional.

NO, NOT THIS ONE


Yea, that's much better.

If you came up with a topic of discussion or simply do not agree with something, use the comments section below! After all, this guide is just an opinion of mine, and it can differ greatly from what others think about it.

[Heatmaker]

I use the Square Dance after a domination or revenge kill

[milkman]

I get that this was made in like 3000 B.C. but they are called Taunts for a reason
I can use them whenever i feel like insulting and TAUNTing my opponent xd

[Anachron]

So basically just don't taunt after kills and people will respect you more

[Sumire Violets]

"i see a poser!"

[Centurion]

Imo taunting is like a language and is different wherever you go.
I consider Conga, Square Dance and Skullcracker more offensive on servers as it's more "I bought this taunt just to rub it in your face!"

[Vallinek]

Don't worry.

[Bogdan Off]

I misread that and thought it said including haha

[Vallinek]

Quote: "(Exceptions include Scout's Bonk/Cola drinking, Heavy's Sandvich nomming, Eureka Effect teleport taunt, Kritzkrieg's Oktoberfest and Amputator's Medicating Melody, mostly because those are utility taunts whose purpose is buffing up, not making fun of you.)"

[Bogdan Off]

SO eating a sandwich after a kill is offensive? Wouldnt that say you damaged them therefore being kinda like a consolation that you damaged them enough to eat a sandwich?

[Vallinek]

Well, I dunno. Lately I've been diagnosed with Universitus Timelackus, so I'm not sure I will be able to do anything about it in the nearest future.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Some guides are better received than others, tho, but I guess it really depends on how deep in the Broken Base territory that particular guide steps into.