On the bookish and delulu side of many social media platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and many more, an ongoing debate rages: is dark romance a good genre?
Before I give my stance on this topic, let's take a look at some examples and people's perceptions of it. Starting with the controversial Zade Meadows from "Cat and Mouse Duet" by H.D. Carlton. This dark romance series is particularly criticized for its themes regarding consent and toxic relationships. He commits multiple acts that have lead to him being so controversial throughout the series, such as stalking Adeline, breaking and entering into her home, manipulating and controlling her, sexually coercing her, and being extremely possessive and violent. Supporters of this particular character argue that he's "morally gray", and that Adeline wasn't sexually coerced because her body 'reacted to it'.
Other tropes in dark romance include 'kidnapper turned lover' in which the female character is kidnapped by an obsessed and possessive male character, and even develops Stockholm Syndrome; 'possessive & controlling alpha male', in this trope, the male love interest dictates who the female character meets with, where she goes, and what she wears, this is often justified as being 'protective' though it is more like controlling; mafia/crime lord romance, in which the female character is often forced into the dangerous male character's world. There are many more similar tropes. However, one thing remains as the common denominator: the red flags.
Let me ask you this:
Would you appreciate your every move being watched? Would you appreciate being scared every second of your existence just because you might peeve a person who legitimately has no right over you? Would you appreciate a person dictating every single moment of your life? Doesn't basic biology prove that sexual attraction is not the only reason a person's body could 'react' to being literally assaulted? Is being forced to do something, against your consent, justifiable?
Now, my answer to this is that I wouldn't appreciate any of this happening to me. I've got my own life, my own goals, and my own path. Nobody gets to interfere with that or treat me as if I'm their property when I literally owe them nothing.
And the thing is, there are actual equalists who support this. The power imbalances, the assault and abuse, the blackmailing and stalking, the violence. It's genuinely so hypocritical.
Some readers argue that dark romance is purely fictional and a form of escapism. However, the issue arises when these fictional portrayals influence real-world perceptions of relationships. This leads me to the impacts of dark romance on readers.
Dark romance normalizes - and even romanticizes, toxic relationships. This impacts the actual readers, as it suddenly seems like something actually 'desirable', especially for younger audiences. It blurs the line between love and abuse, and states that love is love, even if it is toxic. It literally makes a mockery of real-life people who have actually had to suffer due to the toxic behaviors displayed in dark romance (e.g: blackmailing, sexual assault, etc.). It literally contradicts the values of equalism and actually healthy love, and even promotes the 'I can fix them' mentality - when really, they're the ones who need to fix themselves.
Studies have shown that repeated exposure to toxic relationship dynamics in media can alter real-world expectations of love. What starts as fiction can seep into reality, making abuse seem acceptable or even romantic.
In conclusion, my stance is that dark romance is a severely condemnable genre. The content we consume shapes how we perceive the world. Dark romance normalizes toxic love, and we must ask ourselves: is this really the type of love that we want to celebrate? It's time we demand better stories that empower rather than endanger. That show readers what love is actually supposed to be like.
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