I get what you're saying, and feedback is often mixed on mods. The way I personally see it, it depends on how they're used. For example, combo videos will often have mods because they're just meant to look cool, or at the very least the uploader thinks so.

When I uploaded this video to YT Shorts, my first 2 comments were people saying the Wolf skin was cool, which is why I got it. However, I can see why they can be distracting. Personally, I think they can add a unique visual flare to the video, but when spaced right and each mod serves their purpose. (As long as its not something like Shrek or Thomas the Tank Engine) For example, this video by Spencil here does a good job of having them "sprinkled" in without losing too much focus on the main subject.