Let's do a case study. Here's a game I like to call Find the Politics:
My fantasy world has a fantasy race of creatures. This race has its own culture, family structure, military structure, language, religion, trade, art, etc. Let's call them... oh, I don't know... Gerblins. By the default rules of the RPG system I am using to play in this fantasy world, this race is also, to every last man, woman, and child, irredeemably evil. The heroes (yes, explicitly heroes) are thus rewarded for their wholesale slaughter. If they find a settlement (sorry, lair)? Bonus treasure!
Don't worry, this is definitely Not Political. It definitely bears no resemblance to any kind of historical Othering or Cultural Genocide! No no, it's just a throwback to a series of popular fantasy stories written in a historical place in time where support for that kind of historical Othering or Cultural Genocide was more the norm. But not for Gerblins, certainly no, those are fake fantasy people! Gerblins have a completely different skin color, and tribal social structures, and shamanistic religion, and, and...
This is just the most egregious example, but look, no one is saying to not enjoy your pop culture fantasy game with your Gerblins and your Orks and your Cobalts or what have you. I'm not, anyway. I'm also not saying it's not possible to enjoy these fantasy tropes completely divorced from their troubling historical-political origins. But to purposefully ignore these politics? To shut your ears and eyes to it, and pretend they don't exist? I'm of the belief that pop culture consumed uncritically is pop culture that risks influencing one's thoughts and beliefs without being aware of it.
My two cents, anyway.