There's a difference between animal abuse and a plain set up. A plain set up is fine, but so is a more decorated one as long as the animal is properly taken care of. I know there's a big conflict about tubs VS tanks, but I think they're both fine as long as the husbandry is good.
Sure, more large decorative tanks are a bit harder to maintain. However, if the owner is willing to put effort into it, I think they shouldn't be criticized, neither should the people with more simple set ups. It's all about proper care, not how it looks.
Unfortunately, I can't access a picture of my set up, but I do have my ball pythons in a reptile basics cage, it's a bit big but I put enough things in it for my ball pythons to feel secure. I use hides because of this, if they're in a rack I don't see it as necessary, although I plan to use both in the future, I like putting the snakes I will most likely keep forever in that type of cage.
Anyway, I think we shouldn't fight about whether a flashy cage is better than a non-flashy one and vise versa unless these things get in the way of proper husbandry.