Do you know why you like a particular genre of film, tv show etcetera?

I like sci-fi and shows that allow fantasy themes, for a very specific reason:

They are not respected by serious authors and critics; authors therefore approach the work with no expectation the respectable community will appreciate it. The writers then seem to write with a freedom to explore themes and concepts they are not able to wrestle and play with in other genres. They write to entertain the fans and themselves.

Someone I read put it this way: you are more likely to hear a serious adult discussion about faith or war and peace on an episode of Star Trek than on ER or CSI. Doctor Who explores love between angels and human women, Battlestar Galactica is one long riff on genocide and terrorism. The “Dramatic” shows just don’t have the freedom to play in those realms.

Chocolate. Bad chocolate milk made me vomit on my best friend in 1st grade.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought Excellent answer – exactly what I was hoping for – but I am also thinking about reasons why someone would like something based on their childhood, perhaps.

Thanks for reading copletely through the details and the second part of your post; I got sick from my first try at Ouzo – and though I like licorice, I can’t even think about drinking the stuff since then. Same with tacos, sadly, as I’m told they are delicious. My one bad experience with them and whamo! can’t even stand the smell nor sight of them.

:-)

I like sci-fi because it is more cerebral, and tends to have little violence even when there is conflict. Or, at least it is not usually gory violence, although of course that is not always true.

I don’t like fantasy shows like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter for some reason, and I am not sure why. I would think most sci-fi people do like this genre.

I watch car shows mainly because it connects me with my husband. Well, also I can’t avoid them in my house. I swear Top Gear is on every minute of the day. LOL. That show is very funny though. And, there used to be a show on cable that discussed the auto industry my husband and I found very interesting. It was business and economics oriented, so we both liked it, it was a Sunday tradition, and inspired conversation afterwards.

Sit-coms are a long tradition in my family, and I am thrilled my husband loves them too. I don’t know if I could be married to someone who looked down on TV. I find some of the sit-coms to be thoroughly entertaining, and it is happy, no-brainer time, in my household shared with my husband. It was the same when I was a little girl. We all got together to watch Soap or MASH. It was quality time. We had other quality time too; discussion around the dining room table, traveling, and more, but TV time was quality time also.

I love that TV now has so many informative shows. I love learning about science, history, new discoveries. I am not much of a book reader, I get a lot of my information from the TV, and then later read up on the topic if I am interested.

Oh, there is a degree in Media Studies.

I love horror…simply for the cheap thrill. I love being scared. I love that feeling of intensity within the movie when something big is about to happen. I love the unexpected (jump scenes). The music is great too. Sometimes a good track is what makes the movie. In Halloween for example, that famous theme is what made the movie. Without it, it’s just a plain, boring movie.

I also like comedy because they can get away with a lot of off color jokes, such as Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.

I love the vanilla and orange scents and black olives. I absolutely cannot stand coconut and dark chocolate.

I like sci fi for the same reasons @Imadethisupwithnoforethought mentioned. I also like medieval fantasy stuff like Game of Thrones. I do like Lord of the Rings, but I think that was also because of my connection to New Zealand. There are too many horrible fantasy novels out there that are no better than the Mills and Boone stuff my sister reads, so I am particular when it comes to that genre. I like the fun twists that Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams put in their bent sci-fi/fantasy worlds. I did not like any film adaptations I have seen of Douglas Adams’ work.

I like House MD, but yell at the TV when they come up with stupid ideas or diagnosis. I can´t watch TV shows that have really bad science. They offend me in a way I can´t really explain.

I dislike many of the action movies because they become too cartoon-ish when taking themselves too seriously but then look forward to the Mythbusters taking on the stupid set-ups and proving them wrong.

I like Non-fiction tv, like Mythbusters, Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson and smart series on just about any typic. I like Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, but I find Stephen Colbert too bitter a pill to swallow. Not that he is bitter, but I don’t know… the constant reminder of how stupid people are hurts my ‘soul’.

Fake vanilla candles make me wretch. No specific memory related that I am conscious of.

I like police procedurals, because the puzzle is usually neatly solved by the end.

I like movies where stuff looks cool and impossible things happen. It could be sci-fi. It could be a period movie or TV show (I’m getting into Boardwalk Empire now). I like it to look real, not like a cartoon, most of the time. I also like funny. Funny can be applied to any genre. In addition, I like a hidden message that isn’t easy to dig up. Not all works need to have all things. I guess I don’t like a particular genre of film so much as I like certain kinds of characteristics.

Why do I like those characteristics? I think they stimulate my thinking or my aesthetic sense.

I like shows about serial killers because I identify with them, to an extent.