Mercurial uses a single command for a single purpose, generally speaking. Git overloads many different functions with clearly distinct uses in a single command.

A bit like having a word processor with a “format” command that changes text font, but is also used to produce a word count or print the document.

I think it attracts so much attention because git is forced on people by network effects, but many think the inconsistency of its interface defies belief, and that this lack of empathy for the user is symptomatic of a broader problem in designing software that seems to be prevalent across our industry.