Several years ago I came across an article from some cycling publication from the 80s right when MTBs were exploding in popularity. The columnist was some lifelong roadie and insisted that you didn't need a mountain bike for trails and that his road bike was just as capable off road. Article was accompanied by pictures of this guy sending it in his drop bar skinny tire bike.*
I wish I would've saved that article, can't find it now. It's what these "ZOMG the evil marketing devils are making this up to FORCE us to buy bikes!" hysterical threads always remind me of.
*The article was also the 80s version of click bait, the next month the same author wrote an "I love mountain bikes" article.