Zendaya thanked parents for letting her be a role model, then proved her merit

Zendaya has become the face of CoverGirl, a Dancing With the Stars finalist, a singer (who collaborates with Chris Brown) and a fashionista, but the 19-year-old is known by the young Kids' Choice Awards voters as a TV star from Disney Channel's Shake it Up and K.C. Undercover.

That explains why, at the slimy awards show Saturday, she was awarded the orange Nickelodeon blimp for favorite female TV star. Zendaya accepted the honor with a sweet speech.

"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."

She also had a message to the moms and dads of her fans.

"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."

It didn't take long for her to reiterate why she is a good choice for the position. In a twitter exchange after the show, Zendaya responded to a joke made by Difficult People creator Julie Klausner, who implied that the star's thin shape was the "ultimate retort" to offensive comments made by Guiliana Rancic about her dreadlocks on a red carpet a year ago.

Klausner dug in, saying she would not stop criticizing celebrities who perpetuate dangerous beauty standards, but ultimately backed down after Zendaya fans made the point that she is not unhealthy and that all body types should be celebrated.

#weallwinning