[kurthr]

It's really difficult to have something useful or interesting to say as a layperson about dark matter (or most science fields) so people rely on tropes.

Special and General Relativity - "it's all relative man" Quantum Mechanics- "spooky action at a distance" Dark Matter - "if you can't see it, maybe it's just not there" Flat Earth - "you can't prove it's round"

There are more complex versions of this like the interesting, but debunked Tao of Physics and various cranks with new theories of everything (or perpetual motion), but they aren't accessible or interesting to the masses because they don't fit a convenient narrative.

Most big science and engineering takes a lot of work, understanding, and time to be accepted or have a big impact, but we're always looking for the new News.