I certainly wouldn't agree with the proposition that if you don't like ballads you don't like folksong. I do agree that they represent the pinnacle of the tradition.

Like any work of art, they do require a bit of effort, but really all that is needed is the ability to concentrate for a few minutes. Few ballads take more than 7 or 8 minutes to perform, most only 4 or 5 minutes. Of course when they are performed badly concentrating for even that length of time becomes an effort. A poor singer can ruin any song.

Taste is very personal. If you just don't "get" ballads, that's fine. We all have our blind spots.