80s colorized movies looked pretty terrible. That was at least half the problem.
I’d say we’re actually more open to black and white media these days. It doesn’t have the ‘stink of the old’ that it had in the couple of decades after color TVs first became cheap. Now it’s viewed more as a stylistic choice and not simply an imperfection to be fixed.
They have their issues, for sure, but viewers, as I understand it, weren't the complainers, it was mostly the professional critics and artsy types who derided them. Joe and Jill Public cared little, as far as I understand it.
They complained about "artistic intent" and respecting it, etc., etc.
I’d say we’re actually more open to black and white media these days. It doesn’t have the ‘stink of the old’ that it had in the couple of decades after color TVs first became cheap. Now it’s viewed more as a stylistic choice and not simply an imperfection to be fixed.