Why The Mannequin Scratching Posts?

I've noticed on DIY sites and Pinterest that a lot of people are turning mannequins into cat scratching posts.
Why are mannequins suddenly so popular as scratching posts? Is it because cats enjoy scratching things that resemble people?

 

I don't know when this became a thing. I'm really out of the loop.




They're kind of expensive too. This green one is almost $200.

 

I hadn't seen this trend at all.

The strangest things catch like wild fire and spread across the internet, don't they? Maybe mannequins are cheap to get and they find them artsy?

 

I think this would just teach my cat to attack people or scratch faces! They are creepy. I can see how they are aesthetically pleasing, but I wouldn't want one of these in my home. A standard scratch post is fine with me.