Stereotypes are complex, and there's usually some deeply ingrained unease or fear beneath it all. In the case of dissing romances, I've always considered it just another shade of sexism. What interests women is too often perceived as less valuable than what interests men. But I rarely feel a need to make apologies or excuses for the genre anymore. I've always found loving to be an incredible act of faith.
Love leaves spectacular wounds.
It's a profound life experience, like the loss of a parent, the search for God, the bond of family. From early on, though I was often disappointed by the characterization of women. Women were capricious, greedy, controlling, or passive. Fictional women who were not subservient were brought swiftly to heel. It should be a wonderful toy for the imagination.