Why are subwoofers so polarizing?

I will admit I have never been a proponent of subwoofers in a 2 channel system. Maybe i've not heard the proper set up or the level of sub was not equal to the speaker. The last great application was over 20 years ago when I heard a Pro-Ac Tablette with a forgotten subwoofer. I'm sure in the last 20+ years the technology has improved but why are subs still mainly limited to home theater systems? As always I appreciate your time and thoughts.