[xoxoavi]

I think it's more about having guidelines for how things should behave and having a visual framework. It is true that many try to copy it and interpret it wrongly, which creates hideous sites. However, I think Google's purpose here was to create an extension of typography rules, grids and layouts rather than having everyone look the same. Some companies managed to use material design quite successfully and still reflect their brands (and not look 'the same').