Austin
guess I look at it different, having been raised by a man who used to do the pit BBQ thing for whole hogs, we would cook up coals all night, wrap a pig and put it on the coals and cover it up for 8 hours
yummy good and always a big hit.
I did my own first time at about 19 and have refined a technique for smaller loads of meat. we had a pit we usually used for about 40 to 60 pounds of meat and it turned out great meat all the time. Have not dug one here, I get into the ways to cook I have just fine.
I do not think it is a novelty/cool thing at all, just another way that was developed to do BBQ, after all, I get teased all the time about being a kettle head, but they never tease me about the results. I give the covered pit guys all the respect they can get. Like being a dutch oven guy, lots of teasing goes on there too.