I suppose that is true since exerting ones brain seems to be the lowest priority for the most people these days. There is always the "more money than time" argument, corresponding with paying someone else to do the calibration. ISF calibration for the TV adds $300-500 per input. Audio calibration adds another $250-500 minimum. IMHO, pro calibration is not cost effective until you get into the $10,000+ range.
That said, someone looking at the article as a starting point will be blissfully ignorant of the benefits of room treatments and/or the benefits of using some room response visualization tool to optimize speaker/sub placement and avoid room mode pitfalls. Even a passing reference will generate enough interest for those that care, but, no reference at all is kinda like sweeping the issue under the rug.
Well I think that first part may be a bit unfair. Just because others may want great sound, but don't have the time or interest to take it as far as others, is no reason to say they have interest in exerting their brains. To each his or her own and wanting one thing without feeling the need to delve as deep as others is fine. I think you may just be looking at the situation through only a single lens and not really seeing it from the other side. However, that being said I don't necessarily disagree with your statement
As to the second part, I think that by mentioning room treatments in the actual article may be getting ahead of the issue in some regards, and as Gene has already said, a response to previous comments. Gene is trying to balance the input he gets and put together the best articles he can that he thinks will most helpful to the most people. He takes into account input he receives, but it's a balancing act for him.
From my personal point of view, I think that room treatments and calibration are part of the big picture, and all are important in their own regard. However, I still come at this article from point of view that it was not written for the audiophile, but more of the beginner to intermediate audio enthusiast. In which case things need to be chunked together to make everything easier to digest.
As you mention above, people sometimes tend to not want to exercise their brains and therefore throwing too many references to, too many things may overwhelm them (if those choose to research all of those things).
From what I've been reading around these parts (again only my personal impressions) people tend to group choosing speakers in one group, getting the electronics (AVR, amp etc) into the next, followed by calibration, room treatments, and so on for those starting out.
In any case, I think we agree more than we disagree (which may not be at all?)
