Taunting

A taunt is a battle cry, a method in hand-to-hand combat, sarcastic remark, or insult intended to make demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage reactionary behaviors without thinking. Taunting can exist as a form of social competition to gain control of the target's cultural capital (i.e. status). In sociological theory, the control of the three social capitals is used to produce an advantage in the social hierarchy as to enforce one's own position in relation to others. Taunting is committed by either directly bullying, or indirectly encouraging others to bully the target. It is also possible to give a response of the same kind, to ensure one's own status. It can be compared to fighting words and trash-talk.

Taunts are also a genre of Folklore.

Verbal taunts

The act of taunting can be learned by observation and improvisation. It usually follows linear thought, correlating or building in some manner to the target of taunting. Things such as the victim's appearance, intelligence, mannerisms, education, background, past offenses, etc. can otherwise be insulted. When used in this manner, the effectiveness of a taunt at provoking a response varies depending on how the specific insult relates to its victim (or their sense of self), to what level of offense they regard the taunt, and how well the victim can control their emotions when responding.

Children of numerous cultures frequently set their taunts to a single basic melody, with different words or nonsense syllables chosen by children speaking different languages. In English, the melody is frequently set to the nonsense syllables "Nana nana na-na" (in the American South often "Nanny nanny boo-boo") and is often repeated with words such as "You ca-an't catch me." In French, the taunt uses syllables often rendered "Nananananère," and Swedish-speaking children use the phrase "Du kan inte ta mig" ("You cannot catch me").

Gestures

Certain movements of ones body, are, in many cultures interpreted as a taunt. These can be expressed through the eyes, hands, fingers, head and other areas of the body.

For further Information on Gestures see: Gesture.

• Loser Gesture

Poster for the 2000 film Loser. Jason Biggs is performing the "Loser" gesture.

The "Loser" Gesture is used in some countries. This gesture is performed by raising the index finger and thumb of your right hand perpendicular to each other so that they form the letter "L". It is then placed onto one's forehead. It signifies that the person that this gesture is directed to is a loser.

• "The Finger" Gesture

The "Finger" Gesture is a gesture consisting of a fist with the middle finger extended. It is universally understood as "fuck you" due to its resemblance to the penis. It is certainly thousands of years old, being referred to in Ancient Roman literature as the digitus infamis or digitus impudicus. Performing this gesture is also called "flipping the bird" in countries where "the finger" is used. In other regions, "flipping the bird" refers to the raising of the middle and index finger with the back of the hand directed at the recipient. It can also mean "Victor" in some countries, which is not to be mistaken for the "Peace" gesture, which is done with the palm facing the recipient of the gesture, but in Britain and some other countries it is an offensive gesture, equivalent to "the finger".

Further information: [[:Finger (gesture)]]

• Clenched fist

A raised, clenched fist is used as a gesture of defiance by a number of groups. It is usually considered to be hostile, yet without any sexual, scatological, or notionally offensive connotations.

• The Cutthroat Gesture

The "Cutthroat" Gesture is performed by drawing the hand, or a finger or two, across the throat. It represents slitting the throat with a knife, and means that the gesturer or someone else is metaphorically being killed. It is rarely if ever used literally to refer to death, though it is occasionally used as a theatrical threat ("I'm going to kill you"). The gesture earned a great deal of national notoriety in the NFL during the 1999 season in which several players did the cutthroat gesture.

The Wanker gesture

• The Tongue

Often sticking one's tongue out at another is seen as mocking the other. A variation of this is also known as blowing a raspberry. It can also be wagged in a manner suggesting cunnilingus when directed at a female, which is usually seen as highly vulgar.

• Wanker Gesture

The "Wanker" Gesture is made with a loose fist (with all fingers forming a cylindrical shape) is made, and shaken up and down (or sometimes, back and forth) at the wrist, suggesting masturbation. A picture of the young Tony Blair, later the British Prime Minister (1997-2007), using the "Wanker" Gesture became widely available (although copyrighted) in 2007.

A variation is where one executes the gesture whilst opening their mouth and sticking their tongue into their cheek, simulating fellatio, effectively ordering the one who is being taunted to "suck it."

• Dickhead Gesture

The "Dickhead" Gesture is made by holding a hand to one's forehead, the thumb and fingers usually forming a "C" shape, and then moving the hand forward and backward in an arc. The image suggested is a large penis growing out of the forehead.

• Crotch-Grab

The crotch-grab is done almost exclusively by males. It is, as the name suggests, simply a grabbing of the penis and testicles.

• The Chin Flick

A gesture is made by placing the nails of your fingers under your chin and flicking it out from under your chin

• The Turkey Face

The Turkey Face is when you take your hand and put your thumb on your nose, wriggle your head back and forth and do the same thing with the hand.

• V Sign

The insulting version of the gesture (with the palm inwards) is often compared to the offensive gesture known as "the finger". The "two-fingered salute", as it is also known, is commonly performed by flicking the V upwards from wrist or elbow. It is most commonly called "the forks" in Australia. The V sign, when the palm is facing toward the person giving the sign, has long been an insulting gesture in England, and later in the rest of the United Kingdom; its use is largely restricted to the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is frequently used to signify defiance (especially to authority), contempt or derision,..

In popular culture

In Monty Python's Monty Python and the Holy Grail the French Knight taunts King Arthur and his companions with a series of increasingly ludicrous insults, culminating in "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries".

Versions of the Endemol quiz show 1 vs. 100 based on the United States version (Australia, and to an extent, France) are known for the contestants and mob taunting each other.

Similar game shows, such as Weakest Link, are built on taunting a defeated player.

Video games

Some video games feature the ability to taunt an opponent, whether the AI-controlled opponents of a single-player game, or real opponents seen in multiplayer. In the single-player context, a "taunt" command is used to draw the opponents' attention to the player's character such as Battlefield 1942; on the other hand, in a multiplayer context, a "taunt" command is essentially a virtual incarnation of a verbal taunt. In the context of wrestling or fighting games, a taunt may serve the purpose of building energy or stamina.

In games not featuring a dedicated "taunt" command, players have devised other ways, within the controls of the game, to taunt or harass opponents of other skill levels. In a racing game, for example, a player far in the lead might come to a stop before the finish line to watch their competitors to catch up, only to accelerate again and take the checkered flag when the opponents draw near; whereas multiplayer FPS games have given rise to the practice of corpse humping, which involves the "crouch" command present in a typical FPS's control scheme.

In the online PC game sensation World of Warcraft, the classes of Warrior and Druid have the ability named "Taunt" and "Growl" respectively and used to focus the attack of an enemy non playing character (NPC) onto the Warrior or Druid who have used this ability. These classes also have an ability which focuses the attacks of all creatures in an area, commonly referred to as Area of Effect taunt (AOE). The Warrior ability is called "Challenging shout" and the Druid ability is called "Challenging roar". The Paladin and Death Knight classes possess taunts as well. Taunting isn't limited to game skills, it exists also as an emote (by typing /taunt in the game's chat feature).

In the Super Smash Bros. series, characters have a brief taunt that can be performed by pressing a button. Luigi's is the only taunt that damages the foe, except in SSBB, where Solid Snake also possesses a damaging taunt. Kirby's taunt removes his current disguise. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, characters feature 3 different taunts each. If the Up and Down Taunts are hammered repeatedly, a few characters on certain stages can contact allies (known as a Smash Taunt), while Samus Aran can remove her power suit.

In the online game Team Fortress 2, each character possesses a unique taunt depending on the weapon he is holding, an example of which is when the Demoman lifts his crotch armor to reveal a piece of paper with a smiley-face on it, shouting "Ka-BOOM!" A couple of taunts can kill opponents, and one can restore health.

In the Saints Row games, players can design their own character and choose from numerous taunts in order to make his/her enemies or pedestrians feel bad, thus engaging in a fist fight. This feature is also available in the second game, now that the character has the ability to speak in which he/she can trash-talk his/her pedestrians and enemy gangs nearby. Performing taunts will earn the player respect.

In MotorStorm game, drivers can perform taunts to other drivers in order to humiliate them. These can be performed by any vehicle the player derives, but so do other rivals. In MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, the use of taunt has been expanded upon and these are done by performing the infamous "the finger" next to another driver. Other taunts can be performed, however doing this can make the rival attack the player, thus causing the player to crash.

See also

• Insult
• Social psychology
• Teasing
• The dozens
• Trash-talk