When your quotes don't match

...so I'm reading Everything Is Illuminated right now (I mean, currently...not at the exact moment I'm writing this, although I might be reading it when you're reading this), and I'm wondering why people seem to hate quotes so much. In Everything Is Illuminated, all of the quotes are done in italics, although I don't find that nearly as annoying as starting every quote with an emdash like in Cold Mountain among others (like the Spanish version of Harry Potter).

What's wrong with quotes? They work really well. Is there some anti-quote movement that I'm not aware of? Are quotes "cliche" now? Are they "out of style"? Will the Queer Eyes tell the Straight Guys to get rid of those quote marks, that emdashes will make their legs look longer? Will using quotes make my writing look antique and out of touch with the counter culture and with those who are "with it"?

This world confuses me.