I run riser bars without bar ends on my SS MTB, and flat bars with bar ends on my geared MTB and my fixed gear road bike.
I like the width and sweep (bend) of risers, so I'm going to get a pair of Titec Hell Bent flat bars for the geared MTB. They are like risers w/o the rise. I'll continue to run the bar ends on them and see how I like it. I've always liked bar ends, but since running the risers, I haven't really missed them because of the width. I've seen people running stubby bar ends w/ risers.
Conclusion: run what you like. If people laugh, who cares, this isn't a fashion show.