RuPaul Explains The Difficulties of Go-Go Dancing in 1988
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- čas přidán 18. 11. 2010
- RuPaul had just finished a rigorous evening of go-go dancing on the bar at the Pyramid Club when he explained some of the problems that go-go dancers encounter on the job. Video by Nelson Sullivan
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Being gay in the 80s let alone dressing in drag was pretty dangerous. Getting beat up for it was way more common.
I didn't know it was like that
Queens of the 80’s were truly the epitome of “the best of both worlds” beautiful femininity + the ability to protect themselves smartly
I'm not gay but some of those gays needed to learn kung fu and then some of them wouldn't get beat up.
You gotta remember Ru was working in NYC in the village on the lower east side of Manhattan. These things were more or less common practice more so in the eighties and especially in the village. I grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan so I know first hand. After 8:00 pm u would see a drag Queen or four and it wasn’t weird or crazy. My mother actually used to party at the club that RuPaul used to dance in called the Pyramid. It was round that time period too. The mid to late eighties. I always heard my mother and her friends talking about it and watched them get ready on the weekends to go clubbing.
diare Jones that’s like telling kids in America to wear bulletproof vests to school everyday.
When Ru says it gets better, believe him. He worked from the bottom, he climbed to the top from his early days in New York. He talks about 1988 being a dark year for him and makes no bones about it, he was sleeping on friends' couches, battling addiction, losing friends to the AIDS crisis. He's a true inspiration about fighting for your dreams.
👄
Co Sch lol wtf
@Great Lakes you're disgusting
@Great Lakes kinda
@Great Lakes You're preaching sex. But you yourself said whatever they do is no one's business so why make it your personal business to try to make it something horrible? Why does it bother you so much when it has no effect in YOUR life.
I don’t know why but seeing Rupaul lip syncing to the radio in the convenience store in the middle of the night looking rough but sounding so sweet and soft just makes me cry.
That's the Real Rupaul girl!!!
omg i thought it was just bc im high me too
🙄🙄🙄
He looks so lost and alone in this clip, we've all been there those early morning hours leaving a club feeling awful, every emotion amplified. He looks more happy and vibrant now in 2021 than he did there. Good job Ru for becoming a healthier happier person x
because he has millions of dollars
@@InfiniteRhombus He earned every cent
@@sallythomas8599 and allegedly invested in oil/gas fracking…
@@NarcFreedom I BEG of you to do an ounce of research before you try to criticize someone about shit you know nothing about. He didn’t ”invest in fracking”. His husband inherited a ranch, where companies are fracking for oil. Legally majority of landowners in the state don’t have the rights to minerals under the land they own. So oil companies can frack on their land without permission, and there’s not much Rupaul or his husband can do about it. The least the companies can, and will do, is pay the landowners for the trouble.
Hood
2:07 becoming the happiest guy by just getting recorded by some stranger, just look at his nice smile so heartwarning
He has the BEST SMILE 😁!!!!! I WISH I KNEW HIS NAME !!!! 🌹
hes so cute 😭
IKR
Hahaha the dude seems cool
It wasn’t a stranger
"My lips are gone -- I kissed them away." Beautiful.
Me every time I go out dancing
Really sad, actually. :( Ru was complaining how he let men touch him so he can pay his bills- not because he wanted to be touched. "It doesn't matter now," is a coping mechanism- to no longer think about the things that hurt you and act like it doesn't. I'm glad Ru seems much happier, stronger, and more secure now.
I've heard stories about Ru Paul defending her/himself , apparently shim can fight.
It’s actually VERY sad..
@@austinbonde9041 Agreed.
They did him dirty with the toe shot😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
"Do you keep the 800 suicide number? Bc those toes are ready to jump!"
The wig though!!!
Why do I feel nostalgic watching this?? Such an interesting vibe just everything about it is so interesting
Ikr gives me chills
Absolutely agree!!
I know, I need more. I'm addicted.
I think bc it's so natural, candid. It's a slice of real life. You're observing moments through someone else's eyes, so I think that's why these home videos can feel so endearing and familiar. It feels like you're there too, at times. It also has a lot to do with Nelson, because he's so present when he films. He's not doing it for the views, the clicks, he's doing it to show you what his life was like and all the interesting people in it.. and that is (what I think) makes these so special
Freedom
this is the type of things the young drag race fans need to see. Theres so much to rupaul than what's on the show.. He went all of this hard life and created a safe place for drag queens to work and thrive.
Much respect to mother.
I agreed it’s literally not a trend or trying to look pretty. It’s serious business. They need to learn about Dancehall/Vogue too.
@@yumiko0017 what does dancehall have to do with this?
@@thatonedude249 I said “too” they need to learn about the origins of it. Follow my instructions.
@@yumiko0017 we talking about different dancehalls probably
@@yumiko0017 it’s ballroom not dancehall, dancehall is strictly a Jamaican culture
Who would have thought 28 years later she would win an Emmy. Amazing.
You could tell she was extraordinary
Ikr, Just magical.
chuave152 he
Travis Schpeltinger sir that is a beautiful woman you must be blind
Total Garbage hahahah
Oh man. I was a go-go dancer for 7 years and that is EXACTLY what I looked like rolling into Royal Farms at 4am after a gig in Baltimore 🤣
ahh maryland
Baltimore City-home sweet gritty home. And the Royal Farms are still mainstays for the night people.
When you said Royal farms, for a second I thought the chicken was really world renowned, but then you said Baltimore 😢😂
2:08 for some reason this guy made me really smile. I think it’s the sentimentality of the fact that back then, seeing someone recording something as they go about their life was rare.
The struggle was real back then. There was no Divine's Drag Race; she had already passed by this time. RuPaul changed the game, but here she is just another girl of the world with dreams for something better, trying to make ends meet. I have so much respect for this legendary mother.
Force Marker yet here you are on a RuPaul video...and not a very mainstream one at that 🧐 what you running from baby
+alfred arroyo I can handle the crown of a King....although, as a female, it may be a little big....I do thank you for enjoying my smackdown though..😜🤘
+alfred arroyo No apologies needed.....your respect shall suffice lol.....👊😋
Divine's Drag Race would of been an amazing concept though
Speaking of rough edges, I am LIVING for that hairline and them cliff hangers!
I like Ru's look here tbh. I know its trashy but I like the trashy queen look
Madison More trash drag is a very raw brand of drag.
I do too! Whatever Ru wears, she makes it look gorgeous. Ru is a wholesome queen that came from rags to riches. This video makes me appreciate her even more!
Well almost everyone looked like that in the 80s lol
Looks like a mix between Naomi and Adore in the 80's
Salutes victoria
its so weird seeing peopel relaxed in NYC. everyone is always so rushed nowadays its nice to see people chillin in the grocery store.
Lol, its like 4: 30 am there.
People in NYC still chill….lol
Are u from New York?
Because this is pretty common
@@ChrisAzalea666
Yeap
We did relax more back then. That was my Deli- had seen Ru in there out of Drag
I am a straight man and I have so much respect for him . He followed his dreams and want he wanted he needs an award
💖
Seriously!
Hes won emmys for his show! Rupaul has made it so far and I'm proud!
and why did u think saying "i am a straight man" matters? who cares?
@@ioanabbb5563 because unfortunately there's a lot of hateful people in the world. I do agree it should be unnecessary, but not all people are accepting or welcoming.
Ru is giving me Storm from the X-Men after a hard night of partying realness!
kenneth taylor LMFAOOOO.
kenneth taylor hard night of hookin
Best comment in the comments section
Yas, the New York party life!! She her's now, awesome.
Damn good reference!!!!
Rupaul was vlogging decades before it was a thing...
RandomGus thanks to Nelson
No vlogging. Its called a home video or just a video with a camcorder. Im sorry but stop fucking calling it vlogging. Enough.
@@blueriver4484 that was a fucking joke captein obvious
Blue River that’s a vlog
Nelson video taped everything. It's so funny seeing people react to him with his camera. It was probably really rare to see someone walking around videoing normal stuff.
The shops workers smile.
I love how genuinely friendly and curious people were back then. Not afraid of eye contact and interactions with strangers. A society with out the extreme social anxiety we show today even in social settings. Sometimes I get mad when strangers talk to me.
That's actually a really good point... I need to be more social and less inside my own bubble
Woaaaah
That's true. I grew up in a time of transition from w/o the internet mainstream, and the beginning of it. Most people were not at a school stop waiting for the bus, looking on their phones. So! Wow is it so weird for me to see it , in a way. I feel like, if you had social anxiety in those days, it was rough. But social anxiety in any day is hard. I do feel that people talked more to each other in those days tho.
No phone to stare down at during silent moments!
For some reason this video touched my heart. The world is a gritty, often sad place. I wonder how Ru feels when he looks back on this video now.
He will not "look back"...
Nobody is going to talk about that shot 2:00 - 2:25. This is honestly a beautiful camera sequence.
Excellent and true observation! Really awesome sequence.
Nelson Sullivan was a legend and a pioneer in the game. The man had the command of a camera and commanded an audience even if they never knew it.
yoo the guy at 2:10 is so cute
1:30
I agree. All one long cut and the cameras exposure is PERFECT
Best add for Coca Cola I've ever seen.
Kayte52 Lmao
Absolutely! ❤️
This is amazing one of the queens that really changed the game. The fact that so many queens can make thousands now for doing drag is amazing. What a lot kids don’t know is that drag queens would make like $50 - $75 a night just so they could get food in their mouth. Rupaul is a legend for the empire he has built.
I hope the world can continue the progression into something much better for everyone.
why couldn’t they get a regular job and do drag at night?
@@beckysuperswag because most of them were black trans women. So no one would give them a job anywhere else.
Rupaul wearing hearts on her cheeks waaaay before e girls, I love it. So iconic!♡
Asian guy on the fruit stand is a hottie 😍
And he has some immaculately stacked fruit, too!
He could definitely get it
Facts
Idk why but I see early bruce lee when I see him
He's probably 55 years old now.
This is a true fighter who wanted fame and came from the obscurity of New York and made success from nothing. You rock Ru Paul we love you!!!
Marcos Reyes truth
It was brought to my attention that she was apart of the club kids. Like wow... but whatever still like her
Marcos Reyes I don’t love RuPaul
Omg I had never in my life till this very day, seen Rupaul looking soooooo busted ever. Like so 1988 grimey New York City realness lol. Literally to the point that he’s talking about how he basically let folks touch him for money damn! The rent is due and what he supposed to do? It makes you realize how so many people that we admire literally have to claw their way to the top. That he never gave up and look at him today. And I know it wasn’t easy at all. This video shows the struggle for real! Thanks for sharing! When I feel like giving up I’ll just watch this video!😄
Wow. Just wow Ru. Look at him. He really did earn his place at the table. Even through that suffering and addiction you can still see that Ru that was love in there.
We see why he loves Adore Delano so much... They’re just alike! 😆
Adore Delano has the stuff too 😏✨
Yea 🥰😍
Yaaaa! 😁😍
LITTERALLY 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭
I do feel sometimes like Adore is just out of the timeline she should have been in. Love her and Ru
this feels like a Wendy Williams after show.
NygilMr94 Exactly what I was thinking.
Lmfao
😆
Far prettier than Wendell but still men in drag.
Willam Belli?
i hope a queen will recreate this look to a runway if there's another Night of a Thousand Rupaul. i love the messy wig and hanging toes ❤️😅
I need this so bad!!
I literally thought of that when I was watching that part 🤣
You mean the Shake-N-Go wig and cliff hanger pumps? Haha that's how you start off! Then you make it big!
With a coke can aswell
Its called apple fritter foot!
She had on a mule! 😂
Glow up hunty!
He looked so sad :(
I thought he was little high. I mean he just left the club.
@@alaly1027 he said he had too many drinks in the video
@@MG-hm2ip same difference. Ru seemed intoxicated on something to me, not sad.
She looked more tired to me
She was selling herself and its not a happy job
Going around filming in 1988 was such a different experience, look how excited that guy was at 2:06. Now every asshole has a smart phone and nobody cares anymore.
+RBkidd510 2:06 was a really nice moment captured in time
I thought exactly the same thing when he started waving looking so happy to be on camera!
Now you point your camera at someone and they beat your ass for it.
He knows them. That part was shot in the very large korean market directly across the street from the Pyramid and next-door to King Tut's Wa Wa hut. These guys would been in that market on a regular basis.
Sean Brassman lmaoo, clocked everyone in the comment section 😆👌🏼
This little store needed its own reality show!
Giuliana Rexic that is the power of rupaul
In the 80's everyone was a Hot Mess ..some made it thru and others just fell by the wayside.
Applause too you Ru and all you've accomplished and more to come your way...
This is both heartbreaking and frightening. Ru has obviously overcome a LOT.
I actually kinda love Rus look here. Yeah, its not polished and that hairline is so clockable. BUT even after the show, she's givng good face, she's giving 80s punk-club New York circuit. Tall and slender and even withoit polished makeup she looks 80s femme. Makeup in the 80s had a totally different aesthetic to now. Harsher colors and blush lines (even for bio women).
Absolutely loving this glimpse back into 80s NYC, seeing the actual fashions and hair and makeup, how gritty NYC was... And you can see how modern films have tried and sometimes succeeded to capture this essence in making films set in the 80s,
ok lol
Yeah it’s interesting the real 80s looks soo much more brown lol. The media always would make it look all colorful in the modern 80s movies
Lol that cute asian grocer.
Make me think about Jackie Chan somehow
He's probably a grandpa now
yes!! so cute!!!!
"its different from the water i have at my house"
"what kind of water do you have at your house?"
"brown" 💀
Ru Paul, totally 80s. Glad He made it out of the 80s, when so many didn't. Beautiful back then and now. What an Icon. The way He speaks then, sounds no different from today, very poised and proper. He Owns it. I Love Ru.
I think you hit the nail on the head of what makes this sad...thinking of all of the people who didn't make it out.
Love seeing Rupaul break into lip sync while Crystal Gayle's "Don't it make my Brown Eye's Blue?" is playing in the store. Drag queens have such a deep respect for dance and music that it makes you love them even more!
this is iconic.......I love the raw uncut look at life back then and how far people have come and will continue to go
My heart goes to baby Ru. Working so hard, trying to numb themself and just surviving. But what made them a star is through all that haze they kept reaching, connecting and planning.
watching this gives me such a weird feeling. it's like you can oddly compare it to watching your mother get ready for work and stopping by the corner store to get snacks to eat and a drink before you get dropped off at another relative's house to be taken care of for the day.
This comment gives me a weird feeling
@@bridflower5408 as it should
right
Drunk, pawed at, and the talent just radiates...
It does! SO charismatic and beautiful.
This man was born to be a star
@@ms.ravenwood so
@@stdylan ?
I have so much respect for the older gays. They *really* had it rough and helped pave the way for us younger gens to have it easier. Specially Ru. I remember watching her on this old show called “The Truth About Jane”. Ru was the mothers best friend and helped her come to accept her daughters sexuality. Means a lot.
I’ve always wondered what happened to the cute Asian guy at 2:08...
he grew up to be Randall Park
@@karinr5168 damn imagine
He became kim chi.
Omg I like him too, so cute
Christian Leon He’s probably a happy grandfather who lives in a nice house now after years of hard work.
"just because I wanted the money" 😂😂 Ru, I feel you on that!!
Master Superblaster right, gotta get that money honey.
One Hoe feelin‘ another Hoe right ?! 😂
Omg ru was so edgy I have never imagined him like this!!!!
Rupaul before: needs to pay rent
Rupaul now: can buy a whole mansion
Actually bought a ranch
Nelson was a cousin of mine I never got to meet he died when I was literally a baby I only got to grow up watching Home Videos and hearing about him now he's famous again and I try to keep his memory alive as much as I can
2:10 That was wholesome, his smile is contagious.
Fr
Everybody starts somewhere. Of course he's going to look completely different today than he did practically 30 years ago. Life isn't always a bed of roses. I don't mind Ru's appearance here; surely, it's gritty but it was also a reflection of the times he lived in. Although, it is sad to hear him talk about it, I actually appreciate seeing clips such as these because it's another inspirational story of how the struggles people face can really pay off. He specifically recalled the age of 28 as being one of the most darkest moments of his life. Having been born in 1960, these are some of the nightmarish events in 1988. The progress and differences he's made are remarkable and he has so earned the amounts of success. Love you, Ru! Fierce, fierce, fierce.
She looks like a lot of girlz in their 20's did in 1988. Lady Bunny was THIN then :D
freshprincess I could not have said it better .. Thankyou for having a head on your shoulders :)) We proud of our Mamma Ru. She made it through the worst years to be in the club scene .. it's seriously quite remarkable.
With regards to her "get up" He always said he used to do "street walkers" .. the working girl tellin it like it is & all that. He grew up in all of this like you say, so I totally get what you're saying. So well written. Thankyou :))
Very Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always come back to it and watch it when I'm on hard times. It's inspirational to know what Ru went through and to see where's he at. And it pains me to see these New fans try to tear him down now.
Wow her wigs costed 4 thousand dollars
How are the new fans
Someone who struggled so much like RuPaul did then using her hard-earned success to pave the way for people just like her so they don’t have to suffer the same hurt she did. Truly inspirational.
OMG what I would give to be young and be friends with Ru during these times!!!
What would I give to be the young RuPaul these times...
Ceka D, same I would kill to be friends with him then
He used to do drugs
Scraping for scraps being a gogo dancer letting men grope you? You want that?
Ceka D you'd have died LMFAO
2:28 the original lipsync for your legacy
They should use this song for a Lip Sync for your Life/Legacy on Drag Race...
the part from 1:29 to 1:40 is such a beautiful camera sequence. nelson sullivan really is an amazing cinematographer, even for a video as simple as this one
And no one was distracted on their phones. - me rn distracted from my own life by my phone
I was not expecting to see you here but I shouldn't be surprised
em forde same 😆
please
Salut damon ❤️
DAMON!!🤎
Rus high af lol
i'm sayin lol
Yu Bichyu lol he said he had a lot of drinks looks more drunk than high to me
yeah that's drunk not high
Being drunk or high is the same thing I thought. You still can get a DWI.
Starboy 1988 dwi is alcohol a dui is the other stuff
RuPaul giving Dida Ritz Realness
losterx ahhhhh 😂😂😂
kkkkk Cause reading is WHAT???
Hollllering 😂😂😂😂
@@Guilherme-kk2tr fundamentaaaaaal
omg yes lol
RuPaul miming Crystal Gayle in a late night grocery store. That's a wow moment right there. God bless Nelson and his fascinating friends.
Rupaul is just one of those people born to be an entertainer they just stand out and are rememberable, and are good at what they do
Whenever I feel sad I watch this. RuPaul has such an incredible personality, it's addictive!!
I love the part where Ru is lipsyncing in the market. I played it over several times. LOVE! lol :)
JustNess78 me too....when I hear this I think of this part lol
I wanna know the song lol
Dunder Mifflin brown eyes blue
JustNess78 she knows her some Crystal Gayle, loved that.
He’s lip syncing for his life
"My lips are all gone I kissed it all away
i wish mine would go away
My pimping is gone I pimped it away
Honestly seeing young, wild, less established Ru puts a lot of things about the show into perspective for me. The journey was incredible!
its so inspiring that ru went from barely having money for her apartment to having a very popular 9 season show that won an emmy
2:10 was just so beautiful, i wonder were he is now.
another times, another days.. where people would greet you with a legitimate warm smile on their faces. i really felt it.
to think he might be gone by now..
I think he was excited because of the filming. I don't think everyone was going around vlogging and filming their lives back then.
nek nek true
Most of the people would meet Ru with hate in their faces, don't be fooled
Watch rupauls Drag Race !!
@@erikperhs_ of that i’m well aware of
Imagine being able to go back and show Ru what lies ahead for her. She could never have imagined the heights she would reach
You know, I think she would.. Ru has this uncanny ability to believe in herself so much, she wasn't gonna stop until she made it to the top. So so much respect to her 💗 mother of all mothers !
I love Ru's voice. All of Ru is fabulous and the voice is super
2:27 lip syncing for her life!
name of the song?
_I'm sorry my dear but you're up for elimination_
FaCu aRroYo OOP
salem feathers lip syncing for her taste
salem feathers him
I feel like young/new Drag Race fans should watch this. I feel like many of them don't really know Ru's history/struggles. Ru really is a self-made queen who deserves to enjoy his success and privacy.
Knowing where rupaul is now makes watching this bearable. The struggle is heartbreaking but he fucking made it. He made it.
I love the guy waving at 2:07 by the look on his face I can tell he knew this video would be seen in the future amazing.
00:50 "isn't that terrible?" I don't why I watched this so many times something about the way he says it just sounds so adorable ❤️
Emma reminds me of this old lady i met at the mental hospital. She waa so sweet. But lord did she struggle
Amy Lee 😩 Me too
He sounds a lot like Nelson
I love Ru. These experiences just encourage me to overcome difficulties in my life right now. If you have a dream and work for it, the dream will come true.
That's right! Ru is so inspiring.x
I’ve always loved her, ever since I was 10 and saw her in The Brady Bunch movie and then on VH1 a year later. She is a bright beacon of the optimistic 90s and one of America’s national treasures. Ru… continue to slay.
These videos documentaries Nelson created are true masterpieces of history and art. I wonder if RuPaul has sat down and watched all the old videos of her or if she knows of her old friend Nelson’s channel.
I actually kinda like this Ru more. Unadulterated and entirely unassuming. Just being himself, walking down the streets of New York crossdressing in 1988 and expecting the world to accept him. There's something so battered yet so naive, I adore it.
Rupaul was so adorable as a young entertainer! What a total sweetheart.
UGH the atmosphere... one of my favorite videos ever.
“I’m in show business”-RuPaul
All of that hard work and tenacity certainly did pay off. 🤩🎉✨ #respect
Looking at Ru's from then to now, I'm very amazed by him. He's the definition of success.
*Ru's journey
Rupaul is such an inspiration to me. After watching this video and seeing the hard times he had, he inspires me even more. It just goes to show that if you are strong and keep trying, you could go from the street to being an Emmy award winning trailblazer. I have never heard RuPaul say he had these hard times either. He focuses on now. That makes me respect him even more.
He has openly talked about addiction and poverty a lot in the past. It’s just that he’s had 40 years to process it so nowadays he just listens to the next generation talk about their trauma and advises them.
bless that Nelson Sullivan for capturing herstory
Just love this.
Back in the day , we cared for our friends.We looked after each other.
Empathy and compassion were never a second thought.
02:09 well hello! Was he cute or is just me? 😂
I completely agree, he certainly is 😍
Not the only one gal.
adorable
He was
The smile
I remember hanging with Ru when he danced at Weekends in Atlanta. Best years of my nightlife!
jehouse61 same here! I wonder if we knew each other back then. He would go go on a low box because he is so tall. Ha. I would chat with him at the bar when he would take breaks.
y'all are so lucky
Yup, I was there, too ! I remember Ru dancing on the speakers. 👍 🎉
In the mid to late eighties my mother and her two best friends used to party at the club that RuPaul danced in. It was called the Pyramid. I used to over hear them talking about it and watched them get ready to go clubbing when I was little.
It’s just so amazing how far RUPAUL has come I’m so proud of him 😭
He sounds kinda wasted... the 80's and vintage drugs LOL
VioletDiva he said right at the beginning that he had several drinks
VioletDiva Yass , late 80's .. Cocain was going out of fashion, heroin & new designer drugs were in .. made for a big mess in the 90' s ... I can tell ya ..
I don't care if Ru was on anything, it's not like he's ever hidden the fact. The thing to focus on he his RISE!!! Clean & epic & a business mogul. I love Ru ru so much Aaaahh! I can't stand it! ❤️️❤️️❤️️❤️️🙏🙌
VioletDiva it was the 80s. everyone was wasted. all the time.
InsaneNuYawka Cocaine and whatever
wohdin Wrong . Most people I knew were wasted
It always amazes me seeing Ru back then and now. ALWAYS a lady. Graceful, poise, and a queen. Even thru struggle RU made way not just for himself but all of those who struggled and still struggle with who they are as well. He is truly a devine diva and quintessential queen. What a beauty to the world and a gift.
I have so much admiration for Rupaul and what she has become 💕
5 years from this video he drops supermodel and the rest is history. 20 years from this video she will drop rupauls drag race. Legend
Everyone got on with it.No filters, no perfect people here , just life as it was. The 80s were magic.
This videos keep pulling me in!
i need to see a movie made about nelson from nelson’s point of view! his camera shots are amazing and give an insane perspective into the 80’s
There's over 730 videos, watch them all I highly recommend it!
The videos on this channel are such an intimate look into a very specific time and place in the world - amazing!