Madonna Delivers Her Blunt Truth During Fiery, Teary Billboard Women In Music Speech. Madonna a global icon who extended her record as the highest grossing female touring artist of all time in 2. Woman of the Year at Billboards Women In Music 2. Friday Dec. 9. And during her acceptance speech, she was fully ferocious, funny and brutally honest in other words, she was the Madonna weve known and adored since she debuted more than 3. Madonna, unsurprisingly, stole the show the moment she took the stage. Her weapon Something you cant contain, fake, reproduce or put a price on Blunt, personal truth. Life and career 19581975 Early life and The Jackson 5. Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana to a family of Jehovahs Witnesses. A look at the top 10 songs of each summer on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1958. After opening with a joke I always feel better with something hard between my legs Madonna said, straddling the microphone stand  she got candid very quickly. I stand before you as a doormat. Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer, Madonna said. Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 3. Madonnas sprawling, revealing speech took us back to her life as a teenager when she first moved to New York. People were dying of AIDS everywhere. It wasnt safe to be gay, it wasnt cool to be associated with the gay community, Madonna recalled. It was 1. 97. 9 and New York was a very scary place. In the first year I was held at gunpoint, raped on a rooftop with a knife digging into my throat and I had my apartment broken into and robbed so many times I stopped locking the door. In the years that followed, I lost almost every friend I had to AIDS or drugs or gunshots. From that, Madonna told the Women In Music crowd she learned a vital lesson In life there is no real safety except for self belief. Madonna also talked about a lesson she thought she learned from David Bowie. 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 youre a boy. Watch Leverage Season 2 Online Free. There are rules if youre a girl, Madonna said. Among those rules If youre a girl, you have to play the game. Youre allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. Id=769341148&videoId=5321882164001' alt='Watch Gone Girl Online Hollywoodreporter' title='Watch Gone Girl Online Hollywoodreporter' />John Carter is a 2012 American science fiction action film directed by Andrew Stanton from a screenplay written by Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon. CdxInrVPUzg/hqdefault.jpg' alt='Watch Gone Girl Online Hollywoodreporter' title='Watch Gone Girl Online Hollywoodreporter' />But dont act too smart. Dont have an opinion thats out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but dont 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 criticized and vilified and definitely not played on the radio. Madonna also opened up about the time in her life when she felt like the most hated person on the planet, with her eyes tearing up and her nose running a bit. Eventually I was left alone because I married Sean Penn, and not only would he would bust a cap in your ass, but I was off the market. For a while I was not considered a threat. Years later, divorced and single sorry Sean  I made my Erotica album and my Sex book was released. I remember being the headline of every newspaper and magazine. 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, isnt 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, she said. Madonna also recalled that at one point in her life, during all the public vitriol, 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 youre a feminist, you dont have sexuality, you deny it. So I said fuck it. Im a different kind of feminist. Im a bad feminist. Madonna also looked back on the many pop icons lost during the last decade. I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around. Michael is gone. Tupac is gone. Prince is gone. Whitney is gone. Amy Winehouse is gone. David Bowie is gone. But Im still standing. Im one of the lucky ones and every day I count my blessings. Closing out her speech, Madonna offered thanks to her haters and advice to other women in music. 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 theyre men because theyre worthy. As women, we have to start appreciating our own worth and each others worth. Watch The Beguiled Online Hollywoodtake. 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, she urged. Its 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. 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. Before the speech, Anderson Cooper introduced Madonna with a heartfelt tribute to her ongoing influence. Madonna is Billboards Woman of the Year, but as far as Im concerned in terms of music and impact and culture, shes been the Woman of the Year every year since she released her first single Everybody in 1. Hailing her as not only relevant but revolutionary up to present day, Cooper noted the importance of Madonna to him as a gay teenager growing up Her music and outspokenness showed me as a teenager a way forward. Through her music, she told me and millions of teenagers  gay and straight  that we are not alone. We are connected to each other. Following Coopers personal tribute, rising British singer songwriter Labrinth took the stage for a stirring medley of Madonnas Ray of Light ballad Frozen and her immortal Like A Prayer. Naturally, a choir was brought onstage to recreate the church meets pop anthem ecstasy of Like a Prayer. Prior to Madonna, Shania Twain was honored as this years Icon at the 2. Women In Music event. Also honored this year are Halsey Rising Star, Andra Day Powerhouse, Meghan Trainor Chart Topper, Maren Morris Breakthrough Star, Kesha Trailblazer and Alessia Cara Rule Breaker. Billboards Women In Music airs Dec.