Perhaps you would not have these problems if you accepted web development as a blue-collar trade that it is.
When you treat learning some tech stack as a pinnacle of intellectual achievement, your sense of identity becomes involved and you get this kind of nonsense.
Programming in general has a lot of corollary to blue collar work, in that it is where the actual work gets done after all the fussing about has been done. That this is somehow meant to be a negative thing or a slight on the intellect of programmers is telling about how misaligned the priorities of our society often are.
How do you figure that web development is blue-collar work? Even for hyperbole, this is quite a stretch. Whatever your intent was, it just comes off as elitist.
Web development involves a little creative effort and a great deal of repetitive, tedious work. While sedentary, it requires heavy physical exertion to sit still the whole day. It is usually a low-prestige, low-power role within an organization. It does not require much academic education. I would like to be elitist, but what drives me is despair.
There is a lot of development that I think can be categorized this way. Someone learned a skill 5 or 10 or even 15 years ago, and goes to work everyday and essentially punches a clock. Having done ColdFusion for a large part of my career, I see this pattern in that community.
It does come off as elitist, and I think he could have communicated a great deal better. I agree that your identity shouldn't be wrapped up in some particular technology you use, but you also shouldn't have to prop up your identity by trying to insult others.
When you treat learning some tech stack as a pinnacle of intellectual achievement, your sense of identity becomes involved and you get this kind of nonsense.