I definitely am not saying that MK games are inferior. lol. No need to feel that way, I simply say it for lack of a better term.
They are fun in their own rights, but slipping on banana peels isn't what you would call mature is it? Emotions aside, these are merely classifications, descriptors of genres that have never seen much of a fleshed out terminology.
If someone is looking at a game like GT or forza and says, "this game would be more fun if it were more like Mario Kart" then they are giving a good example of what they think is fun, ie: semi-slapstick, colorful, and (the word escapes me for the opposite of realistic). These are each generally childish preferences, and the image of that is strengthened by those characteristics all appearing together.
This does not mean that Mario Kart is below me. I loved double dash, and still occasionally play diddy kongs racing on n64. Adding Mario Kart style elements does not automatically make a game more fun though, it is merely a more agreed upon description of the game by it's widely appealed to audience.
