I have a hybrid, and got these fantastic grips -- the Ergon grips with built in bar-ends; they aren't too long like MTB bar ends and are relatively ergonomic. I set them about 45 degrees, and I love them because they do give me several different hand positions to help prevent numbness. For some reason, I have tried everything and I still get numbness in just my right hand (got great Izumi gloves, keep adjusting handlebar height and grip angle...).
That said, I totally agree that bar ends are overused, and seem to be part of the overall issue of too many people buying MTB's that really don't need them, since they're just riding roads and paths.