From my personal experience let me just say that Robotech was what I was first exposed to back then. I also didn't know the truth about the show till much later, but by then I had already become attached to it. Yes I know there is a lot of silly and retarded things about it, but hell that's why I grew to love it. It is what it is, and there's just no other way to look at it. I would never compare it with the original shows or vice versa because they aren't the same thing and there's just no point in comparing them either. If you like robotech, then you like it, if you prefer the originals? Then that's just the way it is.
I know plenty of people hate robotech but I would never condemn them for it, and why? Cause its their personal opinion, and I respect that. Heck I'm an avid RT fan and I STILL laugh at some of the RT bashing that goes on here. Why? Again because I don't take this crap seriously, nor do I get offended if others hate something I like.