Who died and made you the authority on what is and isn’t okay to like?



The reality is that there is a certain degree of subjectivity in taste. For example, watching televised sports bores me to tears, but it makes a lot of other people happy. So why would I try to spoil that for them? Why would I walk up to them and insist that what they watch is terrible and boring, when they enjoy it?

On top of the fact that they’d think I was nuts and wouldn’t listen anyway. There just isn’t any reason for me to try to spoil their fun like that.



The same logic applies to almost any genre of entertainment. Some people like Sentai shows like Power Rangers. They’re not my cup of tea, but why would I try to ruin their fun? A daytime soap opera? Gag me with a spoon, but if a person happens to enjoy it, more power to them.

Same goes for fictional characters. Like Vegeta from Dragonball, Light from Deathnote, Loki from the MCU. Well okay then, it doesn’t matter that all three characters are mass murderers. It’s fiction, the characters make some people happy, so who am I to interfere?



(Note: I actually do kinda like these characters myself as well. They’re just good examples of characters that could easily be seen as problematic.)



Basically, we do not have the right to dictate what others do and do not like. That does not mean we cannot share our opinions and explain the reasonings behind them. But that’s where it should end. The moment you try browbeating a person into, not liking something that brings them joy, is the moment you become a jerk.



Now, of course, there are exceptions to this logic. When people like something that does objectionably bring harm to others, then you can make a stand and be fully justified in doing so.

However, I need to stress that we’re not talking about something as subjective as a piece of media being offensive. Being offended is a subjective experience. What offends you may not offend me, and so on and so forth.



But, if a piece of media is objectively harmful, by being exploitive of children, or actively encourages hate or violence against people of certain races, religions or sexual orientations. Then it’s okay to call out people for liking that sort of stuff.



But for the most part, we should just leave people be and allow them to enjoy the things that make them happy.