I play these two hands all the time, there is no reason to avoid them...just dont play them incorrectly. I generally only like to play them when they are suited or I have a huge stack. Lets get down to basics and look at them for what they are::
**2 Broadway cards - 2 cards to the nut straight, especially suited two broadway cards are great to see a flop with.
**Speculative hands -- These are NOT the kind of cards you want to flop top pair with using your high card...your kicker is very weak, if you aren't flopping top pair with your kicker then you are simply looking for any other way to smash the flop - 3 of a kind, two pair, straight, open ended draw, etc...
Most people lose with these hands when the flop top pair with their high card and they cling to it like its the nuts. Against any TAG player, you are likely dominated and losing the hand the minute you flop it. So in summary on this portion - look to flop top pair with your kicker - a strong draw, or at least 2 pair to continue.
** Weaker Holdings -- Already mentioned - against many TAG (tight aggressive) and TP (tight passive) opponents these hands will be dominated...KQ, QJ, AK, AQ, etc...play them carefully. If you flat a raise in the HJ with Q10s and the BB 3bets...just fold the hand and save your chips...unless you are ridiculously stacked and feel like gambling, go for it...but remember if you don't smash the flop, chances are you are dominated. When i make a call like this, if I don't flop a huge draw or big hand, i just tend to fold, even when I flop top pair.
So from my perspective to shorten and cap things off - play these hands, play them suited and play them from later positions. Remember they are NOT extremely strong hands and play them carefully, look to slam dunk the flop with them or get out of the way. They can be great assets to your game when played correctly - but if you hang onto one pair with these hands - more often than not you will go down with the ship you are sinking on.
Good luck, hope this helps!