Yeah, as a Michigan resident, the gp's criticism sounds like something that would have been said 10 - 12 years ago. Sours, lighter styles (session ales), spiced ales and other interesting variants are typically a lot more prominent on menus at hip breweries.

Even with a relatively interesting scene, my feeling is that beer has lost a certain amount of novelty and glamour around here. Bars are less central to young people's dating lives. It's more novel/fashionable to be a connoisseur of cocktails or marijuana strains. People are more healthy-oriented than ever, and beer is one of the more calorie-heavy ways of getting a buzz.