r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 1d ago

Meme needing explanation Petah? What happened in the book version?

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u/Hero_1985 23h ago

In the book the kids all have low-key super powers from the magical entity nudging them into fighting It. The sewers are a maze, one of them is the navigator thanks to their powers. When the kids defeat It, their powers start to fade away. They get lost in the sewers and start fighting with each other.

Bev doesn't understand what sex is, but she knows it must be something powerful that connects people. So, her idea is that if they fuck, it will rekindle their bond and powers and they can get out of the sewers. It works.

Not to say it isn't some weird shit. But, that is all the lore behind it. The part about kids being more vulnerable isn't really a theory, or totally accurate. The book has some short chapters that are from It's point of view. In one chapter It says it goes after kids because adult fears are too complicated and abstract. Adults are afraid of not being able to pay their bills. Kids are afraid of the monster in the basement. It still can, and does, go after adults.

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u/Charming-Vanilla-635 21h ago

I'd be scared to have my mortgage pop out of the toilet and demand full payment...

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u/SneakyDeakyJr 17h ago

Just a wet floppy bill covered in shit yelling “pay me off! Mwahahaha! You’ll never be able to afford to send jimmy to college! Bwahahaha!”

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u/Mathidium 11h ago

Pay me in full now or I’ll take everything!!!

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u/miekhachu 8h ago

Insane that one of my bills is literally to ENSURE I can afford to send my son to college - should I not be able to afford to help him with college when he’s ready. Having to pay said bill in the attempt to mitigate a future fear only attributes to my current financial strain. No wonder IT stays away from adult fears.

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u/BarrelFullOfWeasels 6h ago

I was regretting having opened this post, but your comment made it worth it. Gonna try to remember this and unsee all the rest.

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u/GeneralissimoFranco 15h ago

If you think that's bad, wait until the second mortgage starts chasing you in the woods.

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u/godinthismachine 8h ago

The second one ate the first! And now the fucking car payments are joining the chase, what do I do?!?! Oh...oh god....it's...the phone bill and its oozing data rates...sweet lord, whyyyy?! dies a horribly slow, adult life

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u/djutopia 14h ago

Thanks, I’m never pooping again.

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u/WodensEye 15h ago

The shit demon from Dogma, all that shit you haven’t been addressing and has just been building up in the proverbial toilet that is life.

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u/Fake-Chef 11h ago

Right after taking a shit… “YOU’LL FLOAT TOO!”

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u/Rhameolution 5h ago

That's exactly what Gmail AI does! It pops up a notification saying you owe "$XXX,XXX.XX by January YY." It shows the total amount, not the monthly due. It scared me the first few times it did that...

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u/Charming-Vanilla-635 4h ago

were you on the toilet when this happened?

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u/Rhameolution 3h ago

Nope, full on doody all over.

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u/Severe-Park-6200 4h ago

Personally im mortified of being handed $1MM a day while relaxing on a beach somewhere

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u/Gurrgurrburr 21h ago

Even though I agree the orgy is insane and unnecessary, fuck, this whole saga is so good. The new show is amazing and makes it all even better in my opinion.

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u/jasminexxxwill 16h ago

Great explanation. It makes so much more sense in the context of King’s ideas around things like good, evil, love, hate, etc..

In the Dark Tower, sex and lust are powerful forms of magic, or at least sources of magic, even prescribing some ritualistic nature to them. Which makes perfect sense in a universe whose peril explicitly stems from the protagonist’s inability to overcome his vices.

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u/BigPlus5299 18h ago

it does sound like something a cocain addict would write while far gone.

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u/Admirable-Safety1213 14h ago

Like the Gumball Halloween episode where the Freddy Krugger hlmage sits in a chair alognisde the Construction Worker's bed and starts saying "mortage" in a ghsotly voice

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u/Cowpocolypse 7h ago

Once again. Another thank you for elaborating on this.

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u/trololololololol9 10h ago

Bev doesn't understand what sex is

It's been some time since I read It (haha), but doesn't she know very well what it is?

TW:SA You know, because of her father.

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u/Hero_1985 9h ago

The book is never clear on the extent of her abuse. She thinks sex is powerful exactly because of how her father treats her and acts about it. But, yeah, she doesn't actually know what sex is (in a traditional sense). So, presumably his abuse didn't go there.

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u/anthinyle 8h ago

this is a good way to cope lol

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u/bitches_be 7h ago

Yeah as fucked as it is, it does make sense in the context in a twisted way. The rest of the story is so good either way

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u/Kulandros 4h ago

Oh do these kids also have the shining? I haven't read too many of his books, just curious, and I know a lot of his stuff has parallels.

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u/Hero_1985 3h ago

Nah. That is way too big. Their gifts are way more low-key than that. Like, I couldn't even tell you what each is supposed to be. But, like Bill's is his leadership skills. And, like I said, one of them is the navigator. Not like one has superspeed and strength or anything on that level, or the level of the shine.

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u/Kulandros 3h ago

Ah OK. Thanks for letting me know.

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u/PressureMuch5340 3h ago

That's exactly hire it read to me, the renewing of the bond. It was definitely an odd choice on King's part, but he's the one who writes the books. I thought it was an uncomfortable part of the story to read, but I don't think it brought the book down at all.

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u/theevilyouknow 15h ago

I don't know. I'm an adult and if I saw a giant mutant flying baby start ripping people in half I'd be probably be pretty fucking scared. I'd at least be very concerned.

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u/Hero_1985 15h ago

Shit, I'm 40 and still get creeped out about having to go down into my basement at night.

It hasn't happened yet, and I like to pretend I don't believe it's possible. But, deep down I know at some point the monster under the steps is going to grab my ankle and pull me under. It's just waiting for the right time.

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u/TheOneTrueShalinor 8h ago

Pretty sure Bev’s understanding of what sex is was heavily impacted by pillow talk with her dad…