American singer-actress Zendaya won as the favorite female TV star at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The 19-year-old used her speech to thank the parents of her fans for allowing their kids to emulate her as a role model.
Hollywood Reporter said her message for parents and kids all around the globe was an inspiring and uplifting one. She considered the recognition as a "beautiful" blessing for her and her career.
"This means so, so much to me. I've been doing this for a long time, and I do it for you guys. I just want you to know that doing and making positive programming for young people is so important to me, and I will keep doing it," the teenage actress said. "To all the parents out there, thank you for allowing me to be a role model for your children. I really, really do not take that for granted."
According to USA Today, Zendaya has already achieved a lot of things in her career even at a young age. She was a finalist on the Dancing With the Stars, a recording artist and a fashion icon thus making her very deserving of her recent recognition.
But not everyone was impressed with her appearance during the awards night. Writer Julie Klausner criticized Zendaya's shape on her Twitter page saying she was too skinny. "Zendaya's ultimate retort to Giuliana Rancic is starving herself down to the size of one of her elbows," Klausner tweeted.
E! said that the writer also tagged the teen actress as someone with an eating disorder. She also justified her Twitter post noting that some celebrities go beyond their limit just to look good.
"I will never stop criticizing celebs who perpetuate dangerous beauty standards for a generation of girls who grow up thinking they're fat," Klausner said. "I'm concerned with the generation of girls who aspire to look like Zendaya. I do not worry about Zendaya's health or care whether she eats," Klausner said.
As a response, Zendaya said that Klausner needs to be educated. "Do you find this funny? I will write another paragraph to educate you as well #youreallywannabenext?" the actress said on social media.
