for your opinions that are unpopular

That's the trend I saw. I think there are two factors to this though. Earlier Reddit was more open to some level of playful banter and immaturity, which wasn't necessarily toxic, but long term it invited toxicity. Clamping down on that element more made the push back uglier. I enjoyed waterguy and bepis leaking through on occasion because it was those moments which made Reddit as a whole a community. Allowing such "humor" contributed to making Reddit feel comfortable, but it allowed those elements which also made it unsafe. The other factor is that we've matured and we want a community which provides information directly without that flair of absurdity.

I think the truth is that any community is going to naturally acquire those sort of quirks. The key is figuring out how to allow them without eroding the value which is sought.