August 28, 2017
Ever since Doylestown native Alecia Beth Moore broke through as an emerging artist under the moniker Pink, her career has been shaped around being an inspiration for young women, encouraging them to embrace themselves inside and out.
Even as Pink's musical style shifts through phases of danceable pop and rebellious, Rancid-influenced rock, her status as a fashion forward role model only grows by the year.
At MTV's Video Music Awards on Sunday night, Ellen Degeneres presented Pink with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, an honor set aside for artists who break barriers in the music video genre and have otherwise achieved sustained success during the course of their careers.
But in her acceptance speech, Pink wasn't interested in talking about music. She shared an upsetting story about her 6-year-old daughter Willow's self-image and her newly expressed fear that she's ugly. In what must have been a heartbreaking moment for a parent, Pink said she was able reassure her daughter with a series of questions. With the award in her hands, she reiterated the importance of instilling girls with the self-assurance to celebrate their own beauty.
Some fans took to Twitter to share their appreciation (and tears) after the emotional speech.
The Legendary #PINK #VMAs
— Koncrete Flava Mag (@koncreteflava) August 28, 2017
Photo: @Pink pic.twitter.com/NrDRinFKvt
Yesssss #Pink beautiful speechhhhh!!!! pic.twitter.com/q3KISbRuFg
— SKY (@_SKYTIMS_) August 28, 2017
We don't change baby girl. We take the gravel out of the shell and make a pearl. And we change other people to see all beauty. #VMAs #Pink
— Courtney Mason (@C_Mazy) August 28, 2017
Omg #Pink speech got me like #VMAs 😩😩😩😩 pic.twitter.com/gG7UnWtEc4
— Vi Marie (@westsidevi) August 28, 2017
Pink's seventh studio album, "Beautiful Trauma," is due out Oct. 13. A video for the first single, "What About Us," was released earlier this month.Â
