I think you perfectly described my issues with comment sections on Reddit for the last few years. That attempt to appeal to an audience rather than further the discussion.
I used to love comment sections as much as, if not more than, the actual post on Reddit. It felt more like a conversation that had insight and humor. It got too big for it's britches and became that soulless monolith.
I get an almost nostalgic vibe from this place. It's nice.
This has been my experience as well. I would venture into Reddit comment sections sparingly. It's not like you find a lot of quality discussion in there anyway. Just rehashed jokes, puns, and comments aimed at appealing to the audience to earn more points. I spend way more time in the comments here. I'm just trying to shake the lurker mentality and get back into contributing.