Back on topic...
I usually do try to judge things based on their own merit. Usually, this leads to fun conversations with Fanboyz since the product in question is usually over-rated. They do not like it when I am able to apply constructive criticism to things they love.
I don't hate iProducts - for the most part, they are decent. I do hate iMarketing, mainly because they like to insult my hot-rodded PC or outright lie. I have no intention of ever purchasing a mac, however, due to the simple fact that I am highly abusive in my computer usage and the underlying archetecture of the OS really doesn't like it.
Eventually, I read Harry Potter (well, most of it), and found it over-rated. Still, it got a decade of kids to read, and that is hard to do.
But if you are looking for an example of what I am talking about, scroll down to that thread I made about the fantisification/magification of firearms. The thread derailed really quickly into arguments of pro-con and pretty much spun off topic. It did ultimatly answer my question in a way: no, refluffing d20 guns from SCIENCE to magic would not make them more palatable to detractors. The Tolkein thing got rehashed several times.
Now, as someone who is working on his own campaign setting, I'm finding myself moving away from more modern "high" fantasy writings and researching more real world history and mythology.