As usual, the 2015 VMA’s brought lots of surprises and excitement. I don’t always tune into award shows, but this time I was able to catch parts of this particular one. Of course there were some very talented performances and in my opinion, anything involving Rebel Wilson will always be hilarious. However, the main thing I kept noticing was the amount of female performances and outfits that seemed highly sexualized and the presence of underlying drama between numerous female artists, which has been labeled as “girl beef”.

We will start with the most obvious display of ridiculousness during the night, which was offered up by host Miley Cyrus. While her outfits could have stopped at fun and creative, the ex-Disney Channel star crossed the line into nearly naked territory. Not to mention she exposed one of her breasts before her final performance. I can’t say I was very surprised though after her performance with Robin Thicke a few years ago (*cringing*). While I understand that ratings are a main priority for MTV, I was really disappointed that a show aimed at displaying talent and hard work of artists was left in the hands of such an unpredictable hot mess.

Next we arrive at Demi Levato. While I have always liked her for her honesty and genuine transparency, her performance also seemed overly sexual and, just like many of the other performances, focused on attention and reaction. Moving onto Nicki Minaj, our televisions were blessed with a live display of some of that infamous “girl beef” when she called out Miley for something she said about Nicki in an interview. While this of course added shock and excitement to the show and had everyone buzzing, it was also a small glimpse into the recent stream of girl-on-girl hate that has been very prominent in the public eye. Even Taylor Swift, who is normally very conscious of her behavior and image, made light of her recent tiff with Nicki Minaj during their dual performance of “The Night is Still Young” and “Bad Blood”. Whether she started it or finished it, Taylor Swift has inevitably been involved in the celebrity lady-drama that has blown up social media.

Sitting there watching these antics, I felt a little sick to my stomach. These are the female artists today’s teenage girls look up to. How do we expect girls to conduct themselves when these women are the ones they are watching on TV and following on social media? With so much media attention on people who are different, we constantly preach self-acceptance and love of others, yet today’s “role models” are engaging in Twitter smack downs and wearing outfits that expose almost every part of their bodies. The focus of musical performances is moving away from talent and towards outlandish acts that draw viewers and media headlines. I can’t imagine the worry many parents are feeling when their daughters watch videos like Miley Cyrus’s latest (WARNING: it involves lots of liquid glitter and disturbing lyrics) and think it’s okay to tear down other females with the tap of a Tweet.

A couple of days ago, Pink voiced similar concerns on her Instagram account in a post about her take on the VMAs: “I felt embarrassed and sad… I felt sad because music is supposed to inspire. It saved my life. This trash won't save any kid's life.” While people might argue that the VMA’s are supposed to be sexy, crazy, and fun, I still agree with Pink that it has gotten out of control.

The art of musical creativity and originality has been somewhat lost among female performers. We cannot expect girls to be conscious of their behavior when female artists in the spotlight are so reckless with their own. Today’s young women need role models who can find a balance between confidence and class, between sticking up for oneself and maintaining respect for others. They need role models who find creativity through their work and display it in ways that don’t have to involve skimpy outfits and aggressive animosity. The skin showing and girl-on-girl crime will not grant females the respect we are constantly seeking. We need to strive for better.