The point here is: There is no excuse. Anybody can go ahead, make a copy of the current scenario screens of the Basic UI from the web orbiter for example, get a skin from a different project, and use GIMP/Photoshop/Paint/Whatever to redraw the LinuxMCE screen using the style of the other skin. The ONLY thing that is needed is *time*.
Everybody has 24hours most of the days (two days may be excepted from this rule), so get your priorities straight, and instead of bitching about and making clever suggestion, go and start doing it. Start for example with the regular DVD remote control and make it nice using a different skin as a design idea.