The only dignity the phrase "3D printing" ever had came from hobbyists, the ones building repraps in their basements. You're confusing hobbyists with popularity - 3D printing became a meaningless buzzword only when media and marketing got wind of it and the concept hit mainstream. Industrial technologies used in the past were not even called "3D printing" before that.
It became popular when some key patents expired, which in turn allowed dozens of companies to start producing cheap printers. Previously, the tech had been confined to a handful of manufacturers who focused on industrial/ profitable customers such as automobile prototyping.
