I don't see how the existance of foaming at the mouth fans who vehemently hate the new films and eagerly jump at the opportunity to let everyone know would in any way not stand counter to his hiring people to work on his projects that share his vision easily. I seriously doubt that Lucas has become some crazy old wizard oblivious to how many people hate him and the story he's finishing telling.
Stepping in poop, cuddliness, and aliens who don't speak perfect English isn't part of what wasn't capable of being produced in the days of the old films, and none of those things were added to the old films when Lucas went back over them and put down another layer of paint. The three things you listed were present in ONE SINGLE FILM the purpose of which was to show a period of time that was "before the dark times, before the Empire." They were light-hearted elements added to TPM to provide contrast so that the fall of fist of the Emperor would actually have impact and not be just instantaneous evil.
People's losing the ability to view the films as works of art is a problem with the people doing the viewing, not the works of art themselves.
Yes, rich people can get greedy, but there's nothing to suggest that Lucas is like that. All there are are bitter people who like the old films because of where they were in their lives at the time they originally saw them who now possess no objectability to see the films for what they are and only can see the films for what they felt at the time they first saw them years ago.