To clarify, I don't mean to come off as a Mesa proponent. I would like to see them just disappear about as much as anyone.
My general point is that if you're faced with a choice of buying multi time or going to a 121 operator who will get you some arguably "better" flight time, it's tempting to go to the airline. I didn't go that route because I thought it would be more financially responsible to CFI for a while (which it was), and frankly, because no one had these ridiculously low minimums when I was at that point.
But like I said, if you have no financial obligations, no family, and you're willing to destroy a few months of your life in terms of happiness, a "bad" airline seems like a good way to get to a "good" airline.