The expression “own the libs” is usually used as a tongue-in-cheek criticism of conservatives who will go to any lengths to rebuke liberal progressives and their ideas. Some examples include Trump supporters throwing out their expensive coffee machines in protest of an ad boycott to wearing diapers during a campus demonstration.

As Business Insider’s Joe Perticone pointed out this Saturday, the expression “simply means that Republicans enjoy to a great degree, sometimes even more than actual policy achievements, opportunities to make Democrats and liberals feel bad or face plant.”

But time and time again, it just leads to awkward instances of self-ownage.

That’s something conservative activist and writer Alec Sears found out the hard this Monday.

In a post to his Twitter account, Sears shared a picture of the phrase emblazoned on his forearm, suggesting to his followers that letters were permanent.

Y’all thought I was kidding pic.twitter.com/0WXmOTyKUR — Alec Sears (@SearsAl) July 30, 2018

“Ya’ll thought I was kidding,” he wrote.

In the comment thread that vomited beneath the photo, one person pointed out that the possibly fake tattoo wasn’t even the most embarrassing thing on his Twitter profile.

“If this were real, it would only be slightly less embarrassing than the rifle in your profile picture not having a magazine in it,” Twitter user @armyguyjustin replied.

Sure enough, Sear’s profile pic shows him carrying a magazine-less rifle.

It was all downhill after that.

Classic Incel move. Surprised you’d be willing to make your left arm sore since you use it so many times each day for, uh, self-owning — KiloEcho (@Kilo89Echo) July 31, 2018

How did you botch a fake tattoo this badly? — False Motivation Digital Deluxe (@Falsemotive) July 31, 2018

I don't think your assistant manager at Arby's is going to like that — Fake Dean Acheson (@FormerFSO) July 31, 2018

But it's pronounced "congratulations, you just played yourself" — Edward DeRuiter (@edwardderuiter) July 31, 2018

I think the libs just owned you… — Michael Vance (@michaelkvance) July 31, 2018

Featured image via Twitter