Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Him

HIM (sometimes stylized as H.I.M.) was a gothic rock band from , formed in 1991 by vocalist and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the initial name His Infernal Majesty. The group briefly disbanded in 1993 before reforming in 1995 with the addition of guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström, developing a signature sound they termed "," which fused elements with romantic and melancholic lyrics centered on themes of passion and heartbreak. Known for their iconic heartagram symbol—a fusion of a heart and pentagram designed by Valo—the band achieved commercial success in and a breakthrough in the United States with albums such as Dark Light (2005), becoming the first act to earn a certification there. Over their career, HIM released eight studio albums, garnered multiple awards including three Emma Awards and an Music Award, and sold millions of records worldwide before announcing their disbandment on March 5, 2017, and concluding with a farewell tour ending on that year. While praised for their melodic hooks and Valo's charismatic stage presence, the band faced criticism for perceived stylistic similarities to influences like and for evolving away from heavier gothic roots toward more accessible rock, though their influence persists in the gothic and alternative scenes.

Linguistics

Personal pronoun in English

"Him" is the objective case form of the third-person singular masculine "he" in the , used to refer to a individual or a masculine as the or indirect object of a or preposition. For instance, in the "She gave him the ," "him" functions as the indirect object denoting the recipient, who is biologically . This usage aligns with English's case , where "him" serves in the for objects (e.g., "I saw him") and dative for indirect objects or prepositional phrases (e.g., "The gift is for him"). The word originates from him, the dative singular form of ("he"), derived from Proto-Germanic *himaz or *hi- stem, with roots traceable to Proto-Indo-European *ḱe- or *so- bases. By the period around the , him had expanded to supplant the distinct accusative form hine, establishing its modern objective role and reflecting over a millennium of consistent grammatical structure tied to masculine antecedents. This evolution mirrors the language's Indo-European heritage, where pronouns encoded natural categories corresponding to observable biological dimorphism in humans, such as reproductive roles and secondary sexual characteristics. Empirically, the assignment of "him" correlates with , defined by chromosomal composition ( for males in 99.98% of cases), production (), and associated , underpinning the pronoun's reference to individuals. Deviations occur in rare (DSDs), with true conditions—where chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical is ambiguous—affecting approximately 0.018% of births, far below inflated estimates from broader trait inclusions. These exceptions, often involving conditions like or androgen insensitivity, do not undermine the foundation of dimorphism, as even affected individuals typically align with one reproductive category post-medical evaluation. Related forms include the reflexive pronoun "himself," used for emphasis or as the object referring back to a masculine (e.g., "He hurt himself"), and the "his," which denotes ownership or association (e.g., "his car"). Unlike subjective "he," "him" cannot serve as a , enforcing strict case distinctions that prevent errors like "Him runs" in . This system promotes precision in communication, grounded in the causal of sex-based linguistic observed across English's historical .

Religion and philosophy

References to the divine masculine

In Abrahamic traditions, the pronoun "Him" has historically referred to God as a paternal, authoritative figure, reflecting anthropomorphic depictions rooted in ancient Semitic languages where divine nouns and verbs predominantly employ masculine grammatical forms. In Christianity, the New Testament's Gospel of Matthew (6:9) invokes God as "Our Father," with consistent use of masculine pronouns throughout the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament, such as in Psalms 103:13 where God is likened to a compassionate father. Similarly, in Judaism, the Hebrew Tanakh employs masculine descriptors for Yahweh, emphasizing attributes like strength and justice, as seen in Exodus 15:3 portraying God as a "man of war." In Islam, the Quran addresses Allah with masculine pronouns and attributes, such as "the Compeller" (Al-Qahhar) and "the King" (Al-Malik), despite theological assertions of transcendence beyond biological gender, maintaining a relational framework of divine authority. These representations have contributed to and frameworks that fostered across pre-modern societies, where religious adherence correlated with enhanced and reduced deviance. Historical analyses indicate that in medieval , periods of heightened Christian , such as the 12th-13th centuries, aligned with lower recorded rates—estimated at 20-40 per 100,000 in religious strongholds versus higher in fragmented secular zones—attributable to communal enforcement of divine paternal norms promoting familial and societal order. Empirical reviews of religiosity's impact affirm a negative with criminality, with meta-analyses showing religious participation reducing delinquency by 10-20% through internalized structures modeled on the divine masculine. Philosophically, in his Summa Theologiae (c. 1265-1274) identifies the as , using "Him" to denote an eternal, purely actual being who initiates all motion without passivity, contrasting with impersonal pantheistic forces in traditions like certain Eastern philosophies. This causal realism underscores 's role as ultimate source of order, with masculine imagery evoking unyielding agency over creation. , emerging prominently in the 1970s with works like Mary Daly's Beyond (1973), critiques masculine divine language as reinforcing and advocates gender-neutral terms to mitigate perceived hierarchies, influencing some liturgical revisions for inclusivity. However, psychological evidence suggests traditional anthropomorphic enhances relational ; studies link personalized divine concepts to stronger moral adherence and reduced ethical violations, while evolutionary perspectives align paternal authority with adaptive human hierarchies, where male-associated traits like physical dominance historically signaled protective leadership, correlating with greater purpose in male adherents. research further indicates that anthropomorphic representations facilitate psychological benefits, such as reduction, more effectively than ones, supporting the functional persistence of "Him" in devotional practice.

Arts and entertainment

Music

The band HIM, formed in in 1991 and active until its disbandment in 2017, pioneered the "" genre, blending , , and romantic themes centered on love, death, and melancholy. Fronted by vocalist , the group released eight studio albums, with their breakthrough coming via the 1999 album (international release 2000), which featured the single "," a that peaked at number one in and achieved widespread radio play across . The band's signature heartagram symbol—a fusion of a heart and pentagram designed by Valo—encapsulated their aesthetic of juxtaposing affection with darker motifs, influencing visual styles in the and subcultures. HIM achieved significant commercial success, particularly in , with Razorblade Romance topping charts in , , and , and later albums like Dark Light (2005) marking their U.S. major-label debut on , earning gold certification there as the first for a . The group reportedly sold over 10 million records worldwide, driven by multi-platinum status in for five albums and consistent European touring. Stylistically, their sound evolved from raw gothic influences on debut Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 (1997) to more polished , though post-2000s releases faced criticism for perceived over-commercialization and dilution of their niche edge amid broader rock market shifts. Beyond the band, "Him" has appeared as a song title in various works, including ' 1980 soft rock track from the album Partners in Crime, which charted modestly in the U.S. and exemplified yacht rock's polished introspection. Other instances include lyrical references in songs by artists like and ("," 2017), but these do not directly title the track as "Him" and lack the standalone cultural footprint of HIM's output.

Film and television

Him is a 2016 British three-part television mini-series classified as domestic , focusing on a 17-year-old known only as HIM who navigates , academic struggles, discord, and the challenge of suppressing a supernatural ability inherited from his grandfather. The series, comprising episodes each around , premiered on UKTV's channel on 18 November 2016, with subsequent airings on platforms including . It received a 6.3/10 average user rating on based on 710 reviews, with praise for its atmospheric tension but critiques on pacing and underdeveloped character arcs in viewer feedback. In 2025, the American supernatural horror film Him, directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele's , depicts a promising young (Tyriq ) who accepts an invitation to train under a reclusive, aging (Marlon ) at an isolated facility, leading to escalating psychological and physical trials. Released theatrically on 19 September 2025 by , the film earned a 30% approval rating from critics on based on over 200 reviews, citing formulaic horror tropes and uneven tone, while holding a 5.1/10 user score on from approximately 12,700 ratings that highlighted strong performances amid narrative inconsistencies. Other productions titled Him include shorter formats, such as the 2018 14-minute live-action , which explores themes of desire and transformation in a context and garnered a 7.7/10 from 374 users for its concise storytelling and visual style. No major data or viewership metrics beyond audience ratings are available for these niche entries, and none faced documented or disputes in regulatory records.

Literature and theater

"Him" is an play written by and first published in 1927 by Boni & Liveright. The surrealistic drama centers on archetypal characters including "Him," an aspiring artist and performer; "Me," his manager; and "She," his wife, whose interactions unfold in a dreamlike sequence that satirizes the of art and talent in . Through fragmented , non-linear structure, and experimental syntax akin to Cummings' , the play critiques capitalist , where personal relationships erode under commercial pressures, as "Him" prioritizes artistic purity over monetary success and domestic stability. Premiering on April 3, 1928, at the Provincetown Playhouse in amid the era's broader scrutiny of modernist obscenity in literature, it exemplified Cummings' influence on experimental theater by blending circus-like staging with psychological allegory, though contemporary reviews noted its opacity limited accessibility. In 1995, actor penned and starred in another play titled "Him," which debuted on January 5 at in as his playwriting and directorial debut. The one-man show portrays as a spectral figure navigating an of celebrity mythos, riffing on themes of identity, posthumous fame, and pop idolatry through Walken's idiosyncratic blending humor, , and existential musing. Critics described it as an ambitiously flaky spoof of religious reverence for icons, with Walken embodying Presley in physical and vocal mimicry, though reception was mixed, praising his while faulting the script's meandering structure and underdeveloped narrative. "Him," a 2015 novel by Sarina Bowen and , marks the first entry in their sports romance series featuring male/male relationships among college hockey players. Self-published on July 28, the story follows protagonists Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley, whose prank four years prior severs their friendship; reuniting as adults, they navigate rekindled attraction amid professional ambitions, emphasizing themes of reconciliation and over physicality. Achieving bestseller status within weeks of release and earning a 2016 for Best Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) from the Romance Writers of America, it capitalized on the mid-2010s surge in self-published romance, with sales driven by reader acclaim for authentic character arcs and genre tropes like enemies-to-lovers dynamics. Scholarly attention to such works remains limited, but fan analyses highlight its contribution to normalizing male vulnerability in romance narratives, contrasting earlier literary depictions where gender roles in Cummings' and Walken's plays reflect dated 20th-century norms of male ambition clashing with relational demands, unadjusted for contemporary egalitarian expectations.

Other uses

Comics and graphic media

In Marvel Comics, the character known as Him debuted in Fantastic Four #66 (September 1967), portrayed as an artificially engineered "perfect" male created by the clandestine scientific group called the Enclave in a subterranean . The story, written by and illustrated by , depicts Him emerging violently from an amber-like cocoon after sensing his creators' exploitative intentions, leading to a confrontation with the where he demonstrates , flight, and energy projection before retreating into space. This origin emphasizes themes of artificial perfection and rebellion against paternalistic control, positioning Him as a cosmic unbound by flaws. Him returned in Thor #165–166 (May–June 1969), again written by Lee with art by Kirby, where he crash-lands on Earth, engages Thor in battle over a romantic entanglement involving , and ultimately departs after rejecting mortal attachments. The character remained dormant until retconned as the foundational identity of in later narratives, including a recap in Strange Tales #178 (February 1975), scripted and penciled by , which traces Warlock's evolution from Him's cocoon form amid encounters with the and the emergence of his dark counterpart, the Magus. These early appearances established Him's role as a transformative entity, influencing motifs of rebirth and god-like isolation in , though his power levels—ranging from planetary threats to abstract cosmic forces—have drawn for inconsistent scaling across decades of canon revisions. Key issues featuring Him, such as #66, command high collector values due to their status as origin points for Warlock lore, with graded copies (e.g., CGC 9.8) fetching over $10,000 at auction in recent years, reflecting sustained fan interest in cosmic arcs despite limited solo stories. His narrative legacy contributed to tropes of cocoon-based metamorphosis seen in characters like the Silver Surfer's evolutions or later cosmic heroes, underscoring causal tensions between creator intent and emergent autonomy in artificial beings.

Sports and organizations

We Play For Him is a nonprofit youth sports organization based in , , serving as the athletic affiliate for families associated with Milwaukee Lutheran High School, Martin Luther High School, and Lake Country Lutheran High School. It provides programs including tackle , with the Thunder football team operating under its direction to deliver a quality experience emphasizing Christian values alongside competitive play. The Health Initiative for Men (HIM), founded in 2009 in , , , operates as a nonprofit society dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of self-identified gay, bisexual, queer men, and gender-diverse individuals through targeted , HIV prevention, education, and support services. Initially established as a effort focused on HIV prevention in partnership with Authority, it has expanded to include multiple health centers offering testing, counseling, and resources, while engaging in community-based and . In the field of healthcare, "HIM" commonly denotes , a discipline involving the acquisition, analysis, and protection of patient health data; professional bodies such as the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), established in , standardize practices, provide certifications like RHIA and RHIT, and advocate for data integrity in electronic health records to support clinical decision-making and .

References

  1. [1]
    HIM | Tunefind
    HIM also became the first Finnish group in history to receive a gold record in the US. In 2007, HIM released Venus Doom, the making of which was marred by ...Missing: achievements | Show results with:achievements
  2. [2]
    HIM announce breakup and final tour - Alternative Press Magazine
    Mar 5, 2017 · Finnish metal band HIM have announced their breakup after 26 years as a band. They will also embark on a final farewell tour between June and Dec. of this year.Missing: disband | Show results with:disband
  3. [3]
    Why HIM's Love Metal is the greatest goth album of the 21st century
    Feb 10, 2021 · Its success in the UK was a huge achievement in itself, but it also provided a solid stepping stone for their subsequent success in America ...
  4. [4]
    The Pronoun "Him" in the English Grammar | LanGeek
    Him is a third-person singular object pronoun referring to 'he.' Him is used to refer to male animals or people.
  5. [5]
    Cases of Pronouns: Rules and Examples - Grammarly
    The objective (or accusative) case pronouns are me, you (singular), him/her/it, us, you (plural), them and whom. (Notice that form of you and it does not change ...
  6. [6]
    grammar - Which grammatical case is "him" in "I help him", and why?
    Apr 26, 2011 · The word him here is the objective case - and indeed him always is; there is no concept of direct or indirect object pronouns. Share.
  7. [7]
    Him - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
    Originating from Old English him, the dative form of he from Proto-Germanic *hi-, its meaning evolved to replace the masculine accusative by the 15th ...
  8. [8]
    Sex is a Biological Trait of Medical Significance
    The presence or absence of a Y chromosome correlates with a person's definitive sex phenotype in 99.98% of all people.
  9. [9]
    How common is intersex? a response to Anne Fausto-Sterling
    The true prevalence of intersex is seen to be about 0.018%, almost 100 times lower than Fausto-Sterling s estimate of 1.7%.
  10. [10]
    God's Preferred Pronouns - Stand to Reason
    Mar 4, 2022 · God has already revealed his pronouns in the Bible, and they are he/him. ... God wants us to refer to him with a singular, masculine pronoun.
  11. [11]
    Since God is not male, should we stop using masculine pronouns to ...
    Jan 4, 2022 · Since God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity in language that specifies the masculine gender, we can and should refer to Him in similar ...
  12. [12]
    The Attributes of God
    How is god to be thought of a male? To be a male a being would need a sexual nature. God would need to have what makes a male a male: DNA, ...
  13. [13]
    [PDF] Homicide and the World Religions - IRL @ UMSL
    Dec 20, 2017 · Higher levels of individualism may contribute to higher rates of homicide by reducing societal bonds and spurring secularization which results ...
  14. [14]
    The moderating effects of religiosity on the relationship between ...
    Additional evidence for a significant negative relationship between religion and delinquency comes from a meta-analysis conducted by Baier and Wright (2001).
  15. [15]
    Religion and Crime: A Systematic Review and Assessment of Next ...
    Mar 24, 2017 · Over the last 25 years, there have been a handful of meta-analyses, and systematic and narrative reviews on the religion and crime relationship.Missing: correlation pre- modern
  16. [16]
    SUMMA THEOLOGIAE: The existence of God (Prima Pars, Q. 2)
    Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God. The second way is from the nature of ...
  17. [17]
    'If God is male…' | Shored Fragments
    Feb 5, 2012 · 'If God is male...' '... then the male is God.' So wrote Mary Daly in a – perhaps the – classic text of early feminist theology, Beyond God the Father.
  18. [18]
    [PDF] The Science of Prayer: Opportunities and Limits
    Apr 1, 2021 · A deity addressed during prayer is decidedly distinct from humans in form, substance, and function, making an analogy fairly tenuous. To provide ...
  19. [19]
    Masculine God Imagery and Sense of Life Purpose: Examining ...
    Nov 6, 2023 · Our results suggest that stronger masculine God imagery was associated with greater life purpose for men, and lower life purpose for women.
  20. [20]
    Anthropomorphic God Concepts Engender Moral Judgment
    Aug 5, 2025 · Anthropomorphic God concepts mediated the influence of theological God concepts on the extent to which acts violating the Ten Commandments were ...
  21. [21]
  22. [22]
    HIM (FIN) – Join Me in Death Lyrics - Genius
    The first single from Razorblade Romance. “Join Me in Death” can also be heard in the sci-fi movie The Thirteenth Floor.
  23. [23]
    The story behind HIM's Heartagram - Louder Sound
    Jun 19, 2016 · And the heart represents the Elvis Presley (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear kind of thing, and the pentagram represents hard rock, Motley Crue and ...Missing: influence | Show results with:influence
  24. [24]
    Exporting popular Finnish music - FMQ
    Bomfunk MC's, HIM and Darude are names that have this year crept to the top of the charts in a number of European countries. This success has not, however, been ...
  25. [25]
    Him - Heavy Metal Forever
    HIM is one of the most commercially successful Finnish bands of all time, with sales of over ten million records. The band has released eight studio albums, ...
  26. [26]
    Rupert Holmes - Him ( 1980 ) HQ - YouTube
    Jul 18, 2020 · Him" is a song written and recorded by British-born American singer and songwriter Rupert Holmes. It was released in January 1980 as the ...
  27. [27]
    G-Eazy & Halsey - Him & I (Official Video) - YouTube
    Dec 1, 2017 · G-Eazy - I Mean It (Official Music Video) ft. Remo. G-Eazy•780M views ... song #lofi #trending #shorts # slowedandreverb #fyp. 1.2M views ...Missing: titled artists
  28. [28]
    Him (TV Mini Series 2016– ) - IMDb
    Rating 6.3/10 (710) HIM is struggling with a fractured family life, adolescence, failing grades and feelings he cannot control. However, unlike other 17-year-olds HIM also has to ...Missing: French | Show results with:French
  29. [29]
    ‎HIM - Apple TV
    New three-part domestic horror drama. The story focuses on a 17-year-old boy, known only as HIM, who is caught in the limbo between childhood and adulthood.
  30. [30]
    HIM (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes
    Rating 30% (210) HIM centers on a promising young football player (Tyriq Withers), invited to train at the isolated compound of a dynasty team's aging QB1.
  31. [31]
    Him (2025) - IMDb
    Rating 5.1/10 (12,685) This is a Psychological Horror film (think BLACK SWAN) featuring a couple of football players, and it's produced by Jordan Peele, he of NOPE and GET OUT fame.Full cast & crew · Official Trailer · Justin Tipping · Tyriq Withers
  32. [32]
    HIM movie review & film summary (2025) | Roger Ebert
    Rating 0.5/4 · Review by Robert DanielsSep 18, 2025 · The blending of Religion and Reality gave the film a unique and honest voice about a man's journey through the layers of Hell. Also CTE dude, it ...
  33. [33]
    Queer Short films - IMDb
    5. Him. 201814mShort. 7.7 (374)Missing: titled | Show results with:titled
  34. [34]
    [PDF] Poets at Play - dokumen.pub
    From HIM by E. E. Cummings. Copyright 1927, © 1955 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust. Used by permission of Liveright Publishing. Corporation ...
  35. [35]
    [PDF] Radically Avant-Garde? The Strange History of E. E. Cummings' The ...
    HIM OR HER. (Letters 84-85). That such advice should come from E. E. Cummings is perhaps surprising, given the reputation he enjoys for being a supremely ...Missing: analysis | Show results with:analysis
  36. [36]
    [PDF] Time and Form: Teaching E. E. Cummings
    The four walls of the rotating stage in Him can be interpreted in similar ways, as can the odd gibberish of the Weirds and the psychological contrasts between ...Missing: critique | Show results with:critique
  37. [37]
    'A draughtsman of words': The Modernist Crafting of Prosodic ...
    Dec 31, 2024 · Allison Carruth, 'The Space Stage and the Circus: E. E. Cummings' Him and Frederick Kiesler's Raumbühne,' Modern Drama, 51.4 (2008), pp. 458 ...
  38. [38]
    THEATER REVIEW: HIM; Walken Conjures Up The King
    Jan 6, 1995 · Christopher Walken's woozily conceived, fantastical new play, Elvis Presley (Mr. Walken), identified as Him in the program, looks rather more trim than when he ...
  39. [39]
    Walken on the Wild Side | The New Yorker
    Jan 2, 1995 · “Him” (the Godlike note of awe is intentional) is an ambitiously flaky spoof of pop religion—a series of riffs on the posthumous life and legend ...
  40. [40]
    Christopher Walken's misguided ode to his Elvis obsession
    May 28, 2025 · In 1995, Christopher Walken's misguided ode to his childhood hero Elvis Presley - the play 'Him' - received scathing reviews from critics ...
  41. [41]
    Him - Sarina Bowen
    HIM by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. College hockey M/M new adult romance at its finest. Set in Boston, Lake Placid New York and Toronto, Ontario.
  42. [42]
    Him - Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy - Google Books
    Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off ...Missing: novel | Show results with:novel
  43. [43]
    OMG! HIM is a USA Today Bestseller! - Sarina Bowen
    Aug 5, 2015 · Thank you, readers! I am so pumped up to announce that HIM, co-written with Elle Kennedy, has just made the USA Today Bestsellers list!
  44. [44]
    Audiobook Review - Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
    May 14, 2019 · In 2016, The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with a RITA award for Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.
  45. [45]
    Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen - Goodreads
    Rating 4.2 (90,069) Jul 28, 2015 · Him is nominated for Best Romance in the 2015 GoodReads book awards! ... Him is book one in the Him duet by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy.
  46. [46]
    Strange Tales (1951) #178 | Comic Issues - Marvel.com
    Feb 1, 1975 · Strange Tales #178, published Feb 1, 1975, features Adam Warlock's origin and the High Evolutionary's Counter-Earth, written and penciled by  ...
  47. [47]
    Adam Warlock | Character Close Up | Marvel Comic Reading List
    In his first full appearance, Warlock was known simply as “Him.” A coalition ... In Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #3. Thanos, having collected all of the ...
  48. [48]
    We Play For Him
    We Play For Him serves as the youth sports affiliate partnering with the families of Milwaukee Lutheran, Martin Luther, and Lake Country Lutheran.
  49. [49]
    Football - We Play For Him
    ... football program and is directed by the We Play For Him organization. Our goal is to provide a quality tackle football experience inside a distinctly ...
  50. [50]
    About Us - Health Initiative for Men (HIM)
    HIM is a nonprofit society that aims to strengthen the health and well-being in communities of self-identified GBQ men and gender diverse people in BC.
  51. [51]
    Health Initiative for Men (HIM) - Strengthening the health and well ...
    Jul 22, 2025 · Since its founding in 2009 as a grassroots organization focused on HIV prevention, HIM has broadened its mission to offer a diverse range of ...Mental Health Supports · HIM Health Centres · Work at HIM · Donate to HIM
  52. [52]
    Our History - AHIMA
    AHIMA began as the Association of Record Librarians of North America in 1928, later becoming AAMRL, AMRA, and finally AHIMA in 1991.
  53. [53]
    AHIMA Certification
    Get ready for the future of healthcare: big data, information security, and document integrity. If you already have an HIM credential (RHIT or RHIA) or a coding ...