I think the abrasive personality is meant to serve more than just entertaining people by being their asshole. He often dunks on people uncritically using their preferred parasocial internet person to make their point for them and baby-bird already chewed up history/theory into their mouth. His dickishness kicks people in the ass to say "don't be a baby brain - actually read about history from primary sources and think for yourself instead of parroting your side's contet creators." He wants to avoid his audience doing the same uncritical shit with his content.