Yeah, some people think that employing a scarf joint from the first to the third fret is a bad idea, but the guitars that have them don't break. Also my Tokai has a smaller headstock angle and stays in tune for weeks; something my Gibsons never managed to do. I partially blame this on guitar buyers; they want an exact copy of that 1959 LP that their favorite guitar god uses on stage, so Gibson isn't motivated to change anything.
I build all my necks with a scarf... but just like you said, people tend to think it sounds bad, which is complete bs...
And you are right... every time gibson wants to change something people cry foul!