I think that one element is that people like that are encouraging protest so they can sell more books.

This is a strategy that was employed for real, as explained by this person who did it: https://observer.com/2017/02/i-helped-create-the-milo-trolli... They organised the event, and then organised a protest against the event.

"In 2018, Yiannopoulos told at least two news organisations who had requested comments that he wanted vigilantes to shoot journalists. He wrote in a text message 'I can't wait for vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight'."