Well I'm depressed, "Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional" but I won't tell that to my boss.
There is no "I will find my perfect job" in real life. you take what you get.
Sometimes you just have to be heartless. Sometimes you have to accept that you will rot in a crappy job for the rest of your life...
I would be pissed off if my boss called me an underling (whether it is patronizing or just a friendly joke).
But an optimal work environment is where your boss and colleagues keep the morale up.
Telling your PHB how insanely depressing your work is, will not get them to change a thing.
I've seen companies where employees have left, giving their reason for leaving that the manager is a hopeless buffoon and makes life a whole lot worse than it has to be, and even suggesting how things could be done better, and nothing changes.
Most people really haven't stopped saying, "fine." And the economy and job market is so bad now, and employees are so worried about hanging onto the jobs they have, that even the most soul-crushing job, as far as the boss knows (or cares), is "fine" by them.