> Why can't it just look good and be easy to use? Does anyone actually care if an application is "speaking" as if it is a conscious entity?

I don't think it's fair to say that a UI shouldn't attempt to have some "personality". Whether it is ultimately effective (or not) is another argument entirely, but there is more to UX than just the style and "ease of use".

Copy, labeling and alerts are all part of the UX too.