One thing I find frustrating is when people associate passive income with non-value producing shortcuts, scams, and poor ethics. Passive versus active income and scams versus providing real value are independent characteristics of a business; it's perfectly reasonable to create a "good" business that creates real value and earns passive income.
Passive income is one of my primary goals, so maybe that's why I feel like defending the term. Maybe the phrase just has bad connotations these days, but I don't think the idea of making money without having to actively work should come with immediate thoughts of shady affiliate programs and scummy endeavors.