Fabulous post, Jack. Just fabulous. You expressed my feelings exactly. There are lots of "good" movies or good pieces of music that I don't "enjoy". On a good day, I can recognize their technical merit, complexity and maybe even a hint of the artist's vision. But it is entirely possible that the artist is trying to reach me either in a way that I do not wish to be reached, or in a way that does not resonate with my life experience.
Another example is that many people are enthralled by reality TV or crime/medical shows. Those kinds of shows just make me feel grumpy or sad, so I choose to spend my leisure time on other things that make me feel happy. Now, I grant that ER is a "good" television show, but I don't care to watch that level of seriousness or that kind of content right before I go to bed.
And, most importantly, the diversity of our experiences and our interests is what makes this such a wonderful world.
"I don't believe that life is supposed to make you feel good, or to make you feel miserable either. Life is just supposed to make you feel." - Gloria Naylor
