Why Are Audiences Demanding Dark Themes?

Resha Caner said:

Why do audiences demand dark themes? It's just a question I've been pondering and I haven't found an answer I believe yet. There are attempts like this article. But too often they seem to fall on a "simple was acceptable back then, but that was then and this is now" answer that I find shallow and empty. It seems a naive view of history to me. Dracula was very dark, and so was The Decameron. Rabelais was incredibly raunchy.

So is it that nothing's really changed? Or are there ebbs and flows?

Maybe there isn't one answer. Two things from the article seem plausible: 1) That people seek dark themes as a way to work out the disconnect between real and wished for worlds, 2) That people think dark equates with sophistication.

Of those two, the second intrigues me the most. Any thoughts?

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The answer is simple;

as found in Scripture in several places, clearly stated:

The wicked become more wicked;

everyone is under the sway of the prince of the power of the air;

society , (all society), is pernicious (death dealing);

and finally, in the Apocalypse , everyone is serving demons and refuses to stop worshiping them.

When the last martyr is executed, The Almighty will immediately take action and execute HIS VENGEANCE upon those who shed innocent blood since the beginning

Resha Caner said:

Why do audiences demand dark themes? It's just a question I've been pondering and I haven't found an answer I believe yet. There are attempts like this article. But too often they seem to fall on a "simple was acceptable back then, but that was then and this is now" answer that I find shallow and empty. It seems a naive view of history to me. Dracula was very dark, and so was The Decameron. Rabelais was incredibly raunchy.

So is it that nothing's really changed? Or are there ebbs and flows?

Maybe there isn't one answer. Two things from the article seem plausible: 1) That people seek dark themes as a way to work out the disconnect between real and wished for worlds, 2) That people think dark equates with sophistication.

Of those two, the second intrigues me the most. Any thoughts?

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I think there is something to your second point.

Maybe darkness does seem sophisticated to the young, but maybe they have reason to be dark.

Too narrow ? That surprises me. ALL SOCIETY is dark. This includes , from Revelation 18, pharmakeia that deceives the whole world -
the reason
there is .... well, one reason there is so many sick and dying (like once written in Corinthians, for other reason) .....

Look in ACTS of the APOSTLES in the BIBLE,
how
much despair , loneliness, and random tragedy do you see there ? (in Ekklesia, the believers immersed in Jesus' Name )

Could you mean, or recognize, a lot of 'darkness', that is caused by unbelief in people ? in the world ? even in churches ?

But not seen in the faithful assemblies of Ekklesia in the New Testament.

They were LIGHTS in the world, sources of life, and joy and healing !

See that anywhere today ? (it's there, around the world, but not often allowed to be publicized or broadcast)

The remedy for all depression is known.
The way to overcome all sin as well as all despair is in the Bible.....

yet still, as written in the Bible, for lack of (true) knowledge, MY PEOPLE (God's People even, not just the world), perish ....

Christie insb said:

Maybe darkness does seem sophisticated to the young, but maybe they have reason to be dark.

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Except...they don't.

Old people who have felt the finger of death brush the marrow of their bones--and know they will never do all the things they had dreamed of doing in their youth--that's when they have a reason to be dark.

If young people think they have a reason to be dark while they are young, they have a shock coming.

Tragedy has traditionally been held to be a higher genre than comedy. Perhaps because life is fundamentally tragic.

RDKirk said:

Except...they don't.

Old people who have felt the finger of death brush the marrow of their bones--and know they will never do all the things they had dreamed of doing in their youth--that's when they have a reason to be dark.

If young people think they have a reason to be dark while they are young, they have a shock coming.

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I am 60 years old. When we are children we have a very limited amount of power and are at the mercy of adults. My understanding is that as long as you are healthy, most people get happier as they get older. I know I have, although my mom's death this last year has given me a more than passing acquaintance with that bony finger.

RDKirk said:

Except...they don't.

Old people who have felt the finger of death touch the marrow of their bones--and know they will never do all the things they had dreamed of doing in their youth--that's when they have a reason to be dark.

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Plenty of young people are quite aware of their mortality. If anything, I'm less bothered by it now than when I was younger, since at least I know I'm not going to die young.

RDKirk said:

Old people who have felt the finger of death brush the marrow of their bones--and know they will never do all the things they had dreamed of doing in their youth--that's when they have a reason to be dark.

If young people think they have a reason to be dark while they are young, they have a shock coming.

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As written "SURPRISE! SALVATION COMES" and no more reason to be dark.

What modern works are you thinking of?

Resha Caner said:

Why do audiences demand dark themes? It's just a question I've been pondering and I haven't found an answer I believe yet. There are attempts like this article. But too often they seem to fall on a "simple was acceptable back then, but that was then and this is now" answer that I find shallow and empty. It seems a naive view of history to me. Dracula was very dark, and so was The Decameron. Rabelais was incredibly raunchy.

So is it that nothing's really changed? Or are there ebbs and flows?

Maybe there isn't one answer. Two things from the article seem plausible: 1) That people seek dark themes as a way to work out the disconnect between real and wished for worlds, 2) That people think dark equates with sophistication.

Of those two, the second intrigues me the most. Any thoughts?

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Both seem correct and true. Points for realism.
Here's another:

sfs said:

Plenty of young people are quite aware of their mortality. If anything, I'm less bothered by it now than when I was younger, since at least I know I'm not going to die young.

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Being human means being aware that death is ahead.

Which is not nearly the same thing as actually feeling it happening to you, when your doctor points out the parts of your body that are actively trying to kill you.

We're talking about reasons. After all is said and done, youth have less reason to despair than the elderly, because if all else is equal, they still have more time for change if they've been on the wrong path and time to do more if they've been on the right path.

Better get a better doctor.

yeshuaslavejeff said:

Better get a better doctor.

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You mean one that won't tell you if you've got cancer, so that you don't even know to pray over it?

Because you can relate to it more. We all have experienced bad moments in life

RDKirk said:

We're talking about reasons.

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I'm talking about your statement that young people are in for a shock if they think they have reasons for being dark. For some young people that may be true, but it certainly was not for me. Talk about your own experience -- don't tell me what mine has been.

RDKirk said:

You mean one that won't tell you if you've got cancer, so that you don't even know to pray over it?

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Let's use an example, (from real life, but a few names changed as required by law here and in the usa)....
this happens every day: someone goes to see someone who makes money doing cut outs. They charge them a lot of money and tells them they need a cut out.
If they don't know better, and some people might never know, they don't know they have a choice, so they say, okay, do the cut out (even though it is not needed, but again, they don't know better) and again it costs a lot of money. Then there's more money later, consequences of the cut out.

If they had talked with an honest one, it would have cost a little money, but instead of a cut out, they would have been told the truth - how to fix what is wrong instead of a cut out of something that is not the actual problem. They are thankful , then, and not afraid, but joyful !
They don't need the cut out, and now know , professionally, how to fix it! YEAH! GOOD NEWS ! HALLELUYAH !!!

What is there to pray over ? Better to pray to find someone honest , to find out the truth.

Resha Caner said:

"The devil made me do it" is one of those oversimplifications of which I spoke. I'm not one to dismiss the activity of evil spirits, but neither are they cause of every evil.

Further, your interpretation of what I meant is much too narrow. Dark themes can include such things as despair, loneliness, and random tragedy (Luke 13:4-5).

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Was that a reference to Flip Wilson? Wow, it's been a while. I think the dark themes are always popular, does Shakespeare seem upbeat to you?