Update: Efron has deleted his original tweet and apologized for offending people with his "insensitive" post in a new tweet. The actor added he has "nothing but the greatest admiration & respect for MLK."
I have nothing but the greatest admiration & respect for MLK. My last post was insensitive & I apologize to anyone who I offended. So sorry.
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) January 19, 2016This story was originally published at 11:30 a.m. on January 19, 2016.
Zac Efron's regrettable Martin Luther King Day post has landed the Dirty Grandpa star in the midst of a social media maelstrom. On Monday, the actor posted a photo of himself to his Instagram account, along with a poorly considered caption.
"I'm grateful for a couple things today: Martin Luther King Jr & 10 million followers on IG," the 28-year-old mused.
The general consensus on the internet? Bad form, old boy. Conflating something as vapid as an Instagram following with an appreciation for America's most iconic civil rights activist was a bold — and bad — move. As such, the backlash was swift and sharp.
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gotcha but if u had 2 pick 1... “@ZacEfron: I'm grateful for a couple things today: Martin Luther King Jr & 10 million followers on IG ☝?✊?"
— Pillar Point (@Pillar_Point) January 19, 2016@ZacEfron @Nickrob maybe those should have been two separate posts?
— chris goodwin (@christhegoods) January 19, 2016.@ZacEfron pic.twitter.com/8UmfbEPc60
— anthony smith (@anthny) January 19, 2016.@ZacEfron https://t.co/PvvdXOmp6g
— James Santelli (@JamesSantelli) January 19, 2016@jessicajbenson I could almost handle it until the black hand emojis. then I sincerely could not.
— James Santelli (@JamesSantelli) January 19, 2016One fan decided to cut the actor a little slack, though chided him for the faux pas all the same. "Zac I [heart] you," Twitter user @slayfron wrote. "But whichever social media manager told you gaining 10 mil followers and MLK's work are in the same vein, fire them."
We second the motion — particularly if Efron intends to hang on to his Instagram fans. They're a discerning (and fickle) bunch.