That’s something I noticed a while ago: all podcasters have those huge microphones in front of them - sometimes with a gigantic boom - that wouldn’t look out of place on 1950s TV. But unlike in the 1950s, they’re not trying to hide them, no no: the more visible, the bigger, the better.
I can’t figure out the point of that prop. If I did a podcast, I’d try to unclutter the shot myself.
There is nothing to “believe”, it is documented fact that large microphones does tend to produce the clearest sound.
Your mistake is comparing TV, a visual audio medium, to podcasts, a mainly audio medium, and expecting the same needs.
This is wrong.
TV has to compromise the audio quallity with the visual aspect.
TV accepts getting 90% of the audio quallity as large mics would be too impractical, radio doesn’t have the visual limitations, and they use large membrane mics, same with podcasts.
I currently use a shotgun mic at home, mounted on a microphone arm, my setup is a Röde VideoMic Go II and a pair of Philips Fidelio X2HR headphones, it is brilliant for normal gaming/discord, the mic acts an audio interface that my headphones connects to as well and it is out of my way. But while the audio is excellent for gaming and would be find for podcasting guest apearences, for anything more demanding I would probably get a large membrane mic.
I may be an IT guy, but I am also a hobby photographer who finds AV tech fascinating.