I have mixed feeling on this. I will forever blame the shift away from the traditional pickup on the GMT400s. Fords and Dodges were real popular around here in the standard SCLB configuration into the early 00s. Never saw 1/2 ton GMT400s in that configuration, was always the extended cab short bed.
I like the traditional pickup. Looks most normal to me. I haul a lot of building supplies, so I always make full use of the 8' pickup bed.
But I can 100% understand the move away from it , from a practical standpoint. 4 door cabs allow you to fit the family in a truck comfortable while towing a trailer. Just like a crossover SUV, you end up with a vehicle that can do everything.
If I were to buy a new truck right now, I'd probably be consolidating the fleet and getting rid of my Subaru and the 350 for a mid size with a crew cab. Fiance, dog (german shepherd) and I can't fit in the F350 to all go on off road trips where we tow the Jeep. We're limited to the Subaru with a towing capacity of 1500 --- so even on travel trailers, we're limited to just popups.
A ranger/colorado/taco in crew cab configuration would work perfect for people and Jeep hauling. And when I need to pick up building supplies or make large dump runs, I have a fleet of trailers. Crewcab long bed would be awesome! ... but wouldn't fit anywhere.