Do you think it's possible to like Robert E Howards writing whilst being aware of it's flaws. Am I bad for still liking those stories?

I have the same complicated feelings about this stuff. The question is, is great art that is racist/homophobic/sexist still great art? My gut says it is, but that it’s important to not pretend that that equates with perfect virtue. We should be aware of its flaws. 

In Red Nails, which is my favorite Conan story, I read it admiring the powerful allegory of the doomed tribes in the tale, and then suddenly Conan goes on an unexpected and just toxic little rant about how ugly black women are. It’s such a false, mean little moment, so full of REH’s racism, it’s really painful to read, and it’s tossed in as such a thoughtless little side note. Urgh. 

I feel the same about a great many writers, most notably HPLovecraft, but also J.R.R. Tolkien and many more. I think everyone gets to choose their comfort level. I do give a BIT more leeway to people from eras in the distant past, where enlightenment on race and sexuality was a little harder to come by. But I don’t accept that as a full excuse when so many writers of the day did somehow manage to not be so toxic and bigoted and ignorant. 

I think it’s a judgment call. Dave Sim thinks my gender has no sense of right and wrong, no morals, and are out to sponge off of his male light, he thinks we’re essentially parasites. And yet, the first several Cerebus books meant a lot to me growing up and I still check them out to admire and learn from the craft involved. At the same time, I don’t want to go see any movies with Mel Gibson. 

I don’t have any answers for it. I think it’s okay to love problematic material. The mistake to me seems to be trying to justify/explain/make excuses for the shitty parts.