You may defend a taste because it connects you to a person you no longer see.

Tastes carry people. The music, the team, the food, the way of doing something, learned from a particular person, and continuing to like it is a way of keeping the connection running. Defending it can feel disproportionate because what is being defended is not the preference.

If you notice unusual heat around something you like, ask who it came from. That does not mean you should stop liking it. It does mean the argument you are having is not the one you think, and knowing that usually lowers the temperature.