I agree that after spending over a grand (UK money) on a high end notebook computer, it does feel cheap for them not to bundle it in - as is not including the DVD drive attachment with the MacBook Air.
We all know how the iPod has gradually lost all of its extras in the box as it moved from luxury commodity to the mass market and I can understand that Apple wants to maximise profits in that lucrative market. I'd even understand not bundling the remote with the most-popular-Mac MacBook, but the MBP is its flagship laptop and these little things are the sort of features that you get for paying the extra.
I fully expect to use the remote a lot when my new Penryn 2.4 15" turns up hopefully on Wednesday (yep...
STILL waiting...

). We have no DVD player at my flat and I can't wait to be lying on my bed (at some distance to my new MBP) and controlling the DVD player. Or iTunes library, etc, etc. That's also one of the reasons why I went glossy (which I love on my dad's new iMac).
I do not think the fact that "most people don't use it" is a valid excuse for Apple.