I think that’s mostly coming from (a few) mage players. Their objective seems to me to be less about the mage class and more about garnering a sort of prestige or being special for them to choose mage.
If mage is down, they talk about how mage is the victim, as in the tragic heroine.
If mage is popular if not actually good, they say it’s because people find mage fun or like to roleplay wizards… as if that can’t be said about other classes. Gandalf is cool and all (but I don’t think he ever pew pewed people in the face like quest mage does ;p), but people like Aragon (paladin probably the closest) too. Or Gimli (warrior). Oh and Legolas. Oh boy if anyone’s played WoW (or possibly every other fantasy MMO) plenty of people name their elf hunter/archer after him.
It seems like to them, mage has to either be especially hated or especially loved.