i feel like "i like to explore dark subjectmatter" means literally Nothing. it's an intentionally vague statement, that's very easy to agree with on the surface.
like, i like dark themes too. a lot of the media i enjoy is about dark subjectmatter and focuses on heavy themes. watching/reading about them allows me to process more complex thoughts and different perspectives on the subject. i put them in my own work too. but you have to understand that "explore" is a really vague term that doesnt actually say anything at all about how said exploration is handled, right?
any form of writing can be poorly done. any subjectmatter can be handled poorly. there is absolutely no reason that criticism should be off the table for specific topics, even if they face unique scrutiny. if anything, that's more of reason to think about the topic deeply. especially if you're trying to portray it as something deserving deeper critical thought. "exploration" should be asking the audience to engage with the themes and think about them further, not used as an excuse to shut down critique.
that's not exploring shit. it's literally telling you not to think and just consume. that's fucking Nothing.
