I think it would be fascinating to somehow quantify how data access and availability changes our perception about weather. I'm sure if the Euro and other models went out to 384 hrs like the GFS does, it would be just as bad.
At the same time, the fact that OP models are mostly free and easy to access makes it so that more people can see them and more easily take the extremes they may bring seriously, particularly when it comes to the GFS. Tropical Tidbits and similar sites make shiny and fun maps so easy to come by in the long range that it can cloud our perceptions. Pivotal recently made more ECMWF data free, but most data from it and all the ensembles are behind pay walls.
If it were the other way around and the Euro/the full range of the EPS, GEFS, etc. were free and easily accessed, I would be willing to bet we'd have different conversations on this site.
That's not to criticize the data being behind paywalls, people deserve to make money, but since that's the reality, it limits the conversations most of us can have (aside from screenshots from some generous posters in this thread) to long range GFS OP runs.