Pink: I’m Too Masculine

P!nk – You’re Beautiful

Pink gives an accepting speech at the MTV awards and speaks about how she made her daughter overcome her insecurities by embracing her differences.

She said to me, out of the blue, “I’m the ugliest girl I know,” and I said, “Huh?” And she was like, “Yeah, I look like a boy with long hair,” and my brain went to, “Oh my God, you’re six, why, where is this coming from? Who said this? Can I kick a six-year-old’s ass?” Like what … but I didn’t say anything, and instead I went home and I made a PowerPoint presentation for her, and in that presentation were androgynous rock stars and artists that live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life, and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us, and these are artists like Michael Jackson and David Bowie and Freddie mercury, and Annie Lennox, and Prince, and Janis Joplin, and George Michael, Elton John.

So many artists. Her eyes glazed over, but then I said, “You know, I really want to know why you feel this way about yourself,” and she said, “Well I look like a boy,” and I said, “Well what do you think I look like?” And she said, “Well you’re beautiful,” and I was like, “Well thanks!” But I say when people make fun of me, that’s what they use. They say I look like a boy or I’m too masculine or I have too many opinions, my body is too strong, and I said to her, I said, “Do you see me growing my hair?” She said, “No, mama,” I said, “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.”

Okay, 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 that they can see more kinds of beauty. All of you, thank you for being your true selves and for lighting the way for us. I’m so inspired by you guys. Keep doing it, keep shining for the rest of us to see, and you, my darling girl, are beautiful, and I love you. Thank you guys, goodnight!