Staging, Okay, I'll Play, But Why So Dreary?

Every time I visit a "staged" house, as I did today, I'm hit with an overwhelming urge to return with area rugs and color, even chintz, which are out of fashion. The prevailing look is bare floors,  mud or grey colored upholstery and black pressed wood furniture. This is the Great Recession speaking, but wouldn't "all boats rise" with the lift of color? Do we really want the bottom of the economy to be the inspriation for our interior design look book?

I understand the staging concept, but I'd rather see an empty house than one with a lot of non-aspirational rooms. Real estate is crazy right now. Seller's market in the extreme. But c'mon, even hungry buyers want to be romanced.