That's precisely what they're saying. The Pro branding no longer refers to feature set or power, but to an aesthetic scheme that separates it from truly useless hardware like that of the 12" MacBook. The Apple customer base is no longer irreverent professionals that pay good money for the tools to make world class content, it's Bernie supporters penning post-modern self-flaggelation whilst using their parents' money to pursue a gender studies degree at an overpriced university that uses half of their tuition to make safe spaces.
I think you are likely talking about professional or the term Pro, with one or two specific professions in mind. I agree that the term may have once meant something, back when Apple's market in general, or more specifically the MacBook Pro market, was that of the design / graphics / video / audio creation realm.
Things have changed though, especially as more and more companies have adopted or allowed their employees to use Apple product. So now there are lots of people using MacBook Pro's to do jobs that have little to do with graphic design, etc., but clearly using them as professional devices - even if the work they're doing revolves around typing emails, writing documents and crunching numbers on a spreadsheet.
I'm one of those people, except the company is mine and I choose to use a 15" rMBP, not because I need the processing power, but because I frequently travel between office and manufacturing plant (thereby needing the portability), and my aging eyes make the bigger screen easier to work with.
I love the design of the new rMB and although they are clearly less powerful, would easily do what I need a computer to do, but just can't see going to that small of a screen.