The more it looks like the "real" thing, the more scary for me - like this tofu duck I've seen in an asian food store: it even had the goosebumps on the "skin". 😮 That's not for me. Sometimes I like the texture of fake "meat", like these soy flakes I sometimes use for sauce Bolognese, Chili Sine Carne or arabic dishes. Sometimes it's the form, texture and the taste (from the typical spices) like in a classic german Bratwurst. I recently uncovered a new to me fake meat company and their products and they have a Bratwurst from pea or soy protein and besides the fact it is a bit dryer, it tastes so real (at least for me, the one who doesn't had a Bratwurst for twenty years now). We made a barbecue for two and the sausages were great. The next day I cooked myself some Sauerkraut, potatoes and another pair of the like meat Bratwurst and it was divine!
But no, you are right! Nobody really needs these things. They are just fr fun every now and then. Thank you for this interesting article!