In real life not at all, online though it ranges from friendiy banter to elitist peeps bickering about package managers, those guys can be ignored.

There are a not insignificant number of people in the Linux community who feel that the more user friendly focused distros are for "beginners" and the distros that less so are for "experts" and there is a lot of elitism and gatekeeping that goes along with that sentiment. In reality they're all running the Linux kernel so they're all equally valid options. Use what works best for you and ignore the chuds who try to tell you otherwise.

Definetely a meme at least among my friends and coworkers. Just a friendly banter akin to prefering console vs pc or supporting one sports team rather than the other

The only time I've encountered people that care a little too much about what distro is being used, is right after having transitioned to Linux; the sheer liberating potential of the thing can make you lose your head.

I've come across a lot of professional bias about Linux distros, but that's usually due to real-world experience with tough or bad projects. Some times, decisions are made that make a given distro the villain or even the hero of the story. In the end, you'll hear a lot of praise and hate, but context absolutely matters.

There's also the very natural tendency to seek external validation for your actions/decisions. But some people just can't self-actualize in a way that's healthy. Sprinkle a little personal insecurity into the mix and presto: "someone is getting on great with that other Linux I don't use, so Imma get big mad."