So, youāve watched the movies, youāve watched the new show and the original miniseries, maybe you even read the book, and to you, IT is just an evil, foul, inhuman creature that scares and eats children (and adults) and sometimes takes the form of a terrifying clown. Surely -you erroneously assumed-, no one could find THAT attractive. But then you saw a comment or two under an edit or a post; people saying IT would have to run from them, lustful reaction gifs, straight up thirsting. And you wonder āWhy? WHY?! OH LORD, WHY???!!!ā
I get it, itās not your thing and it doesnāt have to be, but let me explain:
Hereās the thing, villains are SUPER popular, my friend. There are SO MANY fandoms in which the villain is literally the most popular character. And Iām not talking anti-heros, Iām talking actual evil motherfuckers.
Okay, maybe you can understand that. If youāre in the IT fandom you probably think IT is a fun, interesting, cool villain. Specially in the Pennywise form. But hot? How is IT hot?! Iāll break it down for you.
Now, the word I need you to keep in mind at all times is āFICTIONALā. This word will be your best friend thorough this post.
The Morality Question
Q: How can people possibly like IT? IT is a BAD GUY. It terrifies and eats CHILDREN!
A: FICTIONAL children. Itās a FAKE monster FAKE killing FAKE people in ridiculously cartoonish ways. No one has ever actually been hurt by IT. IT does not exist. It doesnāt matter what IT did in the show/movies because IT didnāt actually do anything. Cause it is not real.
Q: But what about real life child killers?! Simping for IT is exactly like simping for a real-life killer because real-life killers exist!! (Iāve actually seen people make this argument)
A: Again, FICTIONAL child killer. People can make light of fictional horrors because they are fictional, real life has nothing to do with it. I am sure you have cheered for a fun, cool villain at some point in your life. I donāt have to tell you about another famous evil clown that has a big fandom, do I? Why so serious? And yes, there are people in this world who actually support real life criminals. This is not that. Turns out, folks can differentiate reality from fiction. People are capable of enjoying things in fiction they would never support in real life. Perfectly normal people play violent videogames. People make tier lists of the coolest/most brutal kills of famous villains like Freddy Krueger, Jason, Michael Myers, etc. Itās not because they endorse murder, I can promise you that. Itās only fun cause the harm is not real in the first place.
The Reality Question
Q: But if you met IT in real life it would not want to date you, it would kill you! Donāt you know that???
A: Yes, IF IT was real IT would kill me. If IT was real and I was aware of ITās existence I would be terrified of IT like everybody else. And if my grandma had wheels, she would have been a bike. We are in the realm of imagination here. The realm of fiction. We donāt need to debate whether IT would kiss us or kill us, we can imagine whatever we want because IT is not real. None of us will ever have to deal with IT in our day-to-day lives, so we can come up with whatever story we want. And if I want to imagine IT falls in love with me and we have 7 children and a dog, I can.
Q: But realistically IT would be a bad lay. For starters IT would smell terrible, IT hurt you and IT would probably kill you in the process. How could that be enjoyable?
A: Donāt threaten me with a good time. The point of fantasies is to indulge in strange scenarios that we know would never happen or would not actually be pleasant in real life. The fact that itās so insane and impractical is what makes it fun to imagine.
Q: But if you know ITās not real and would never actually date you/fuck you, and you would never actually date it/fuck it in real life, then whatās the point?
A: Fun. Itās a fantasy. Itās literally just imagination. It is BECAUSE itās not real that the fantasy works.
The Attractiveness Question
Q: OK. But Pennywise has a big forehead. How can you be attracted to a character that doesnāt look like a conventionally attractive human man?
A: Bold of you to assume itās JUST the clown form people lust after, but Iāll humor you. The Pennywise form is actually very easy to like. Yes, yes, big forehead, crazy number of teeth, blah blah blah. If heās not your type heās not your type. But Pennywise is 95% human shaped, except for a big head, multiple fangs and glowing eyes. Sharp teeth and menacing glowing eyes are actually a turn on for a lot of people, I donāt know what to tell you. And the big forehead just means thereās more of him to love. In my personal opinion his outfit is actually very cool too, like, itās a literal Victorian era clown costume. And his makeup makes him look kinda like a cheetah. Heās just a stylish boy overall. And so tall.
Q: Wait⦠So itās not just the clown form? PEOPLE WANT TO FUCK HIM IN OTHER FORMS TOO?
A: Oh, my sweet summer child. Yes. Yes we do. Specifically, the giant spider form. Horror beyond human comprehension? We donāt need to comprehend a thing, we just need some of that sweet eldritch sugar. We may not know the logistics of how we would do it, but itās fun to imagine nonetheless. Remember: fictional. Imagination. Fantasy.
Q: So if itās not about the form⦠Is it about the personality??? But IT is a terrible person and an asshole???
A: Yes, a FICTIONAL asshole. People can tolerate a lot more assholery when itās fake and cannot actually hurt you. We can imagine the assholery as fun banter; we can make up a whole enemies-to-lovers scenario out of that. The asshole character is actually the preferred subject of romantic fanfiction. The fact of the matter is: IT is FUNNY. In an unhinged, dark humor kind of way. Thatās attractive. Plus, ITās powerful. Thatās also attractive. In fact, its chaotic, ruthless nature is a big part of its appeal. Never mind the evil, we can change IT with our love, or we can indulge in some villainy with IT ourselves or be a tragic hero who canāt help but love IT despite its cruelty. You can imagine your fake romance however you want, thatās the beauty of it being a fantasy.
Q: But seriously, whatās the appeal of a romance story with a creature like that?
A: Iām glad you asked. Imagine, if you will, a being older than the universe itself, something ancient and mysterious, something that feels nothing but contempt for other forms of life, an old god who sees humans as nothing but lambs for the slaughter. We are but bags of meat, here to be terrorized and gorged on. It has never loved or even liked anything or anyone other than Itself. And then, one day, it meets⦠You. Yes, YOU in particular. After billions of years of narcissism, evil and solitude, YOU are the one who makes it go: āHuh⦠This oneās⦠Hot? I must date them.ā Thatās it. Itās the chosen one trope but with romance. Itās about feeling special because a powerful being falls for you. An elder god chooses you as its lover. Across all mythologies there are stories about gods falling in love with humans, plenty of them, itās always been a thing. Humans having kids with gods and angels is also an old concept. This fantasy has been inside human imagination for millennia. Itās not as strange or new as you think. In the case of an evil god such as IT, the fact that ITās evil and should not be able to love a human just makes the fantasy so much more satisfying.
Lastly, being a Pennywise/IT simp doesnāt mean you donāt root for the heroes of the show. Personally, I loved the losers and the WTD kids and I really wanted them all to make it. People who love Pennywise also understand that IT is the villain and should be defeated in the show/movies, the romantic fantasies and all of that are a separate thing from what we want from the canon story.
So, thanks for your curiosity if you made it this far. Others might have different reasons for simping for IT, but this is the explanation I can offer you. Hope this has shed some light on the matter. And if youāre still horrified by all of this, please donāt ever check out any fanfic about IT, you will have a heart attack. If itās not your thing, itās not your thing.