I don't think its a matter of "offensive" so much as "carries negative associations", which both has first order effects (makes some people less likely to use it because it is less attractive on an sub-rational level) and second order effects (makes some people less likely to use it because they perceive that it is less likely to be a long term success because other people are likely to find it less attractive on a sub-rational level).
Not all negative associations are about a term being "offensive".
