What was with the elbow obsession?

My guess is that the "need to have arms with pointed elbows" (which seems to have been noted via A/B testing) may be for two reasons. Firstly, showing elbows means showing the subject from a greater distance than a face-shot. This is perhaps less confronting, and also makes it easier to incorporate other elements (eg, blackboard, apple) that add context.

The pointed part is perhaps related to actions. Non-pointed elbows happen when we hold a fairly inactive pose (eg, arms by our side). Pointed elbows are for holding things, pointing at things, and interacting with objects and people - all of which are much more engaging.

Any other thoughts?