I've noticed that it happened a couple of times in the last decade or so, that I found myself liking tv shows/movies that seem to be vocally hated, get bad audience ratings on platforms like "Rotten Tomatoes", or which are at least very controversially received among fans.
For example, I absolutely enjoyed the SW sequel trilogy. I would have appreciated a bit more political backstory to how the New Order could suddenly pop up, but even without that, the ST was imo absoltely nice entertainment (and since I still can't stand the PT at all, the more "mature" tone of the ST felt like a return to the strength of the OT to me). I also found Luke's disillisionment plausible and generally okay in Ep.VIII, and I liked the slightly more political angle. But then, I'm not a hardcore SW fan, I don't care about the EU or animated shows, it's just mere light entertainment for me, so that I'm not deeply invested in the characters.
I also liked S1&2 of PIC, and the latest new season of Doctor Who (I was actually surprised to learn today that apparently, it gets a lot of hate -- though I feel it's a huge improvement compared to the Chibnall era, albeit not yet quite as strong as it used to be).
When I see the terrible viewership ratings on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and the like, I wonder if they are really a reflection of a larger discontentment among the fans, or is it just a small, but very vocal minority that somehow manages to review bomb these shows?
And then, there is that faction that seems to complain about "wokeness" or "SJW" all the time a black or queer character just walks through the screen... and another faction on the other end of the spectrum that loves to pick fights with them.
I have to admit, the thought that the writers have an agenda and want to lecture me on "diversity", and a kneejerk rejection of this perceived intent, sometimes crossed my mind. On the other side, there are many "diverse" characters I immensely enjoy, so I don't know for sure why it irks me in some cases, but I'm fine with it in others -- well possible it has to do with the quality of the show. When a story and character is well written, accessible and likable, that thought doesn't come up... but when I have an issue with the way such a character is presented, I wonder if the writers sacrificed good storytelling just to make a political point, or felt making this point is more important. Maybe this suspicion is unfair, as I don't think any writer ever deliberately delivers bad writing, but the thought is there.
As for the larger topic of "diversity", I generally appreciate it when previously underrepresented minorities get more visible, but I also can't deny that I'm a straight white male, and I only want to know so much about minority issues in my entertainment, before it gets tiresome. When the problems of characters that I can't relate to, are presented in a manner that isn't relatable for me, then I feel bored or even annoyed.
Now does that mean I can only relate to straight white male characters? Not at all. But I guess there must be some universally human relatability about a minority character that grips my attention.
It's imo a really bad trend that politically extreme people on both sides of the spectrum reduce identity to gender, ethnicity and skin color -- while minority characters are always really strong when there is much more to their identity, which is universally relatable. Take i.e. Benjamin Sisko, who's not just black, but also a father, a widower, a cook, chosen by "gods" and so on. What was Adira on DSC besides being non-binary? My impression was: Not much.
Also, I think balance plays a role. It's really a strong message, when one or two "outsider" characters, like Spock or Data, are in an ensemble cast of a majority of "mainstream majority" characters, yet are fully accepted, integrated and valued -- more than when basically every character represents a minority, I guess.
So on the bottom line ... am I a racist or biased against queers? I don't know, maybe to some extent, unintentionally and subconsciously. Maybe we all are. But I try my best not to act on my prejudices or biases, to avoid being disrespectful towards people who don't deserve that. In my entertainment, however, I prefer to be entertained, rather than being lectured.
