Madonna Delivers Epic Speech On Sexism As She Picks Up Billboard Award

She’s one of – if not the biggest – female pop stars of all time, and last night Madonna was honoured at the Billboard Women In Music awards, receiving their ‘Woman of the Year’ award after completing yet another record-breaking world tour.

Taking to the stage to receive the honour, she treated the audience to a quite frankly EPIC speech, that hit back at her haters and documented the struggles she faced as an artist over the years.

Copyright: [Instagram]

She called out the sexism and misogyny she faced throughout her career and spoke of the different standards she was held up to as a woman.

“Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse,” she said.

“I was of course inspired by Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde and Aretha Franklin, but my real muse was David Bowie. He embodied male and female spirit and that suited me just fine. He made me think there were no rules. But I was wrong. There are no rules – if you’re a boy. There are rules if you’re a girl,”

She then offered some words of 'advice’ to younger popstars out there – drawing on the experiences she faced in the 80’s and 90’s:

“If you’re a girl, you have to play the game. You’re allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion that’s out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world. Be what men want you to be, but more importantly, be what women feel comfortable with you being around other men. And finally, do not age. Because to age is a sin. You will be criticised and vilified and definitely not played on the radio.”

Copyright: [Instagram]

“Everything I read about myself was damning. I was called a whore and a witch. One headline compared me to Satan. I said, 'Wait a minute, isn’t Prince running around with fishnets and high heels and lipstick with his butt hanging out?’ Yes, he was. But he was a man.“

"This was the first time I truly understood women do not have the same freedom as men,”

“I remember wishing I had a female peer I could look to for support. Camille Paglia, the famous feminist writer, said I set women back by objectifying myself sexually. So I thought, 'oh, if you’re a feminist, you don’t have sexuality, you deny it.’ So I said 'f*ck it. I’m a different kind of feminist. I’m a bad feminist.’

"What I would like to say to all women here today is this: Women have been so oppressed for so long they believe what men have to say about them. They believe they have to back a man to get the job done. And there are some very good men worth backing, but not because they’re men – because they’re worthy. As women, we have to start appreciating our own worth and each other’s worth. Seek out strong women to befriend, to align yourself with, to learn from, to collaborate with, to be inspired by, to support, and enlightened by.”

Copyright: [Rex]

"It’s not so much about receiving this award as it is having this opportunity to stand before you and say thank you,” Madonna said, closing out her speech. “Not only to the people who have loved and supported me along the way, you have no idea…you have no idea how much your support means,” she said, tearing up for the second time. “But to the doubters and naysayers and everyone who gave me hell and said I could not, that I would not or I must not – your resistance made me stronger, made me push harder, made me the fighter that I am today. It made me the woman that I am today. So thank you.”

What a speech, eh? ALL HAIL MADGE – THE QUEEN OF POP.