So are hybrids bad?

Well hybrids are compromises. They are not good off road and they are not good road bikes.

I would suppose that if one rides trails with gravel or those nasty bumps where every road crosses the trail, hybrids could really shine.

Also with the limit on hand positions, I would think that a hybrid would be terrible on a long road ride or into a head wind. Personally, I use the hand positions on my road bike and I think anything much over 20 miles on a hybrid would drive me nuts. But that is me. You usage can vary.

I would think that for riding on the road or for riding on paved trails, a road bike with dropped handlebars would work better than a hybrid. One can go with one of the comfort bikes and larger tires like 25 mm or 28 mm if ride comfort is really important to you.

But road bikes are intimidating to many people and hybrids have a nice touchy, feely demeanor to them. The thing is that a bike is good if you ride it and enjoy it. No one else has to like it. It is your opinion on the matter that is important here.