That's not what the article says is happening. Also there seem to be enough things that are both acceptable and funny that the only controversial popular comed

That's not what the article says is happening. Also there seem to be enough things that are both acceptable and funny that the only controversial popular comedian is Dave Chappelle. Jerry Seinfeld and various other conservative comedians have no trouble making jokes that aren't punching down. There are both liberal and conservative comedians whose entire sets are kinda racist, and they have fans all over the political spectrum.