Why I read what I read and watch what I watch

In theory, what I read and watch should reflect what I like. In practice, it reflects my life just as much.
Not in the sense that I read to make sense of life or my personal dilemmas, because I don’t do that. It’s more that my taste shifts and adapts to what’s available.
When I was in my twenties and dead broke, for example, what I read depended on what was available in the library, and what turned up at the used book store. A lot of standalone novels, partial series and obscure authors in my collection come from those days. Buying new was something almost unthinkable, except for a few favored authors.
During this period, I didn’t have anything but basic cable, so I wound up watching lots of crappy recent films that showed up syndication (slasher films, horny teen comedies, etc.).
As my situation changed, so did my entertainment. When I acquired more cable, including TNT and American Movie Classic, I watched more classic films (TNT, when it started, ran the same kind of fair TCM does now). When I had enough money for The Movie Channel, I watched more recent films (but better quality than syndication). When I had Bravo, I watched foreign films and indie stuff (AMC and TNT having dropped most of the movies I liked). Then I got Turner Classic and it’s back to classics.
I no longer have cable, but between Netflix and my own DVDs—well, there’s not really any pattern. I watch Shakespeare. I watch horror. I’m working my way through James Bond and Woody Allen. There’s actually more available than I can hope to watch (which, while frustrating, is a Good Thing).
With books, it’s not quite the same. With more money and a wide array of used-book services over the Internet—not to mention Durham’s excellent library, and my own collection to reread, my options are pretty much unlimited (unless I decide I want a mint copy of Action #1 or a first edition of Tale of Genji). Yet my reading overwhelmingly skews toward history and fantasy—apparently my tastes are a lot narrower in print than in video.
Perversely, now that I can afford to select what I want, I’m also slightly overwhelmed by the options. The days when I had a serious chance at reading all the published fantasy (at least from the big publishers) are gone. Interestingly, without that impetus, I don’t feel quite as eager to read new fantasy at all; except for a few favorite authors, I’m just as happy reading what I’ve already got.
Comic books, on the other hand, are definitely a money thing. I stopped buying all but a few books because I had limited funds (back when my previous employer was underpaying me) and I could get more entertainment with a Showcase Presents or Marvel Essentials than spending the same amount of money on new books. So I shifted accordingly.
Oh, plus the DC Reboot has now wiped out the few comics I was still buying.
I’m not sure there’s any lesson to draw from all this. Other than that what I read isn’t as simple as “I know what I like.”