Ask HN: What's up with those podcast microphones?

On podcasts and video courses it is common to see the host with a giant microphone in front of their face. What is the point with that? Is it the coolness factor or do they really provide better sound quality? And why do they have the microphone so close to the mouth? They are not outside in a tornado after all. I thought the microphones were good, but it seems they suck judging from how close to the mouth they have to be.

I doubt the audio quality is better due to the following findings. Firstly, often the host is interviewing someone and that other person often has no visible microphone (maybe a built in laptop microphone, an "airplane headset" or they use some cheap cabled microphone/earpiece), but their audio is most of the time as good as the host's. Secondly, if you look at for example news shows on TV, they often have much smaller microphones and they certainly are not straight up in the face, they are about 1 meter away on the desk or above and off-screen or this little shirt clip microphone. Thirdly, the giant boom which carries the giant microphone can make noises when they manipulate it. Fourthly, not audio related, but it distracts from the topic.

It would be nice to hear your inputs on if this is just some somewhat childish "me too" show off thing or if there is some justified technical reason for it.