Well, it would certainly seem counterproductive to buy an expensive wide-aperture lens to blur the background and then sharpen it the noise in it.
If you understand the *FULL* workflow for sharpening, then you would not sharpen that blurred background, and if you understand the *FULL* workflow for noise reduction, you would avoid enhancing noise or softening photographic details.
It is inexperience with technique and lack of understanding of the process that results in poor results from sharpening and noise reduction. 
Fortunately, process can be learned and experience can be gained.
I own a Canon 1Ds MkII and I shoot Canon "L" glass exclusively because I want the sharpest image possible.
When I want a softer photo, it is a creative choice. It is not from a lack of options because I am too stubborn or too proud or whatever to learn how to sharpen photos and remove noise effectively.
If you want to work with film in a darkroom, you need to learn a lot, too. Much of it stuff you don't need with digital. Different media call for different techniques and processes.
If you want to work with digital, either live with the result from in-camera sharpened JPEGs, live with soft RAW photos, live with noisy and over/undersharpened photos, or invest the time and energy and learn both the fundamentals and the techniques of sharpening and noise reduction.
As to the example posed here, the solution is quite simple. Use an edge mask for sharpening to keep it away from that blurred background and use a surface mask to prevent the noise reduction from softening the sharpened edges.
(Both chapters in my eBook/video on sharpening. I'll skip yet another URL link.)
Cheers,
Mitch
