The last few years has been pretty big for celebrities getting tattoos that they (or at least we) would categorise as regrettable. Pete Davidson turned his Ariana Grande tribute tattoo into a disturbingly grim memento of their relationship. Ariana Grande ‘adapted’ her Pete Davidson tattoo for post-break-up closure. Halsey stirred up controversy by getting a giant Marilyn Manson tattoo. Justin Bieber got an entire word tattoo’d on his face.
Post Malone was… Post Malone.
Speaking of Post Malone and tattoos, the GOAT team talked with celebrity tattoo artist about Post and what he smells like on ‘It’s Been A Big Day For…’ below:
But before Ariana, Pete, Bieber and the rest, there was Zac Efron.
Zac Efron came into our lives as the golden boy of Disney’s High School Musical franchise, (even though Zeke was unquestionably better.) But naturally, as he grew up, he took some wrong turns.
Never forget that Zac Efron got a tattoo that said ‘YOLO’.
The year was 2011, and the term ‘YOLO’ was only just coming into popularity. It was a wholesome acronym that declared ‘You Only Live Once’ as if it were a call to action. “Carpe diem!” it seemed to say. “Live your best life!” it suggested.
But the term quickly went from genuine to ironic, mocked far and wide in the meme-iverse.
But alas, it was too late for Zefron, who already had ‘YOLO’ inked into the skin on his hand.
Whether the tattoo was a sober decision or Zac Efron “woke up with it”, as he attested to The Evening Standard in 2012, the YOLO tat is a key moment in the history of celebrity tattoo mistakes.
So when we think of this great era of over-zealous celebrity tattoos, don’t forget that Zac Efron was here first, a visionary ahead of his time.
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