I dont think anyone assesses how disrespectful a taunt is by what the character does.
…I do.
I never really considered the words (I have it on JP voices, I think the things the English voices say are so fucking stupid and corny. When I heard Cody say “you bore the crap out of me”, I threw up in my mouth a little.)
The only time I taunt is if I really fucked something up and I want to let the opponent know - like if I EX DP instead of Ultra. I don’t know if the opponent takes it like this, but I assume they can figure it out.
Times when it’s okay to taunt in various games-
3rd Strike: lots of characters’ taunts give them benefits, I think mostly increasing their health (Chun, Q, maybe Ken? I forget)
Marvel 3: lots of characters can taunt mid-combo (Chun, Deadpool, Sentinel, Viewtiful Joe), which in my opinion is just another way of styling and is a-ok
Guilty Gear: see above, Respect is very clearly not the same as a taunt
SF4: correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t there some like Dhalsim’s “U mad?” Yoga Tower-type taunt that actually avoid attacks pretty effectively and/or stylishly? I wouldn’t be mad about someone doing that against me
Times when it’s not okay to taunt- don’t taunt Justin Wong, you will probably regret it: