Photo by Getty/Michael Tran
American singer-songwriter, P!nk, has not just been an extremely successful musician but an admirable human being as well. With three Grammys and 15 Grammy nominees, her achievements are undeniable. However, what impresses me the most, was her recent powerful message to society about acceptance and self-love.
One of her most heartening moments, in my opinion, was at the recent 2017 VMAs when she talked about her daughter’s expressed insecurity. When her daughter explained that she thought she was the ugliest girl she knows and that she looks like a boy, P!nk did something incredible to turn that opinion around.
By making a PowerPoint, she shared many androgynous rock stars and artists that are true to themselves. She explained to her daughter that even though they are ridiculed and made fun of everyday, they do not change for anyone and they continue to inspire the rest of us. P!nk gave examples such as Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Annie Lennox, Prince, Janis Joplin and more. Upon finding out that her daughter thinks she looks like a boy, P!nk conveyed that she also gets told the same thing. Pink then asks her a series of questions such as:
“Do you see me growing my hair?” “No, mama.”
“Do you see me changing my body?” “No, mama.”
“Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?” “No, mama.”
“Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?” “Yes, mama.”
“OK! So, baby girl. We don’t change. We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl., And we help other people to change so they can see more kinds of beauty.”
This message is SO imperative for young children of our generation. Everyone has attempted to be someone they are not at some point in their life. It is crucial to teach kids that it is okay to stand out and be different. They need to know that their place in society is not determined by what other people think. Lots of kids grow up thinking that they need to hide who they are or change what their looks in order to fit in. It’s the role models like P!nk that squash those preconceived notions and show others what it really means to be authentic. Shout out to P!nk and all the other celebrities out there that continually promote morals of dignity and self-confidence.