It's real, I've seen it.
Regarding blockstates and the current block usage et al, I think there are literally no blocks we haven't misused in one way or another, be it wheels on gables, "drying racks", flagons used as flagpoles or even handmirrors, flower pots as bowls, nets as windows, chains as solid iron, or anything else.
In my humble opinion we shouldn't look at what the blocks have been used for, but what they were intended to be used for, otherwise there would be no room to improve existing blocks at all.
On a different note, I'm pretty sure we haven't used the hanging meat/herb/food blocks outside of their intended purpose, so is there any chance we get some 3D dead chicken at some point?