How about all at the same time? GenX is the last generation having been fully exposed to idealistic/chivalrous propaganda, generation earlier got cartoons in the form of DC comics and marvel, genX too, but genX got exposed to the final batch, they got the spiderman/superman/batman + GI joe/transformers/silver hawk/bravestar/jayce and the wheeled warriors/ulyss 31/the spiral zone/TMNT/the visonaries/cosmocats and such and all the jap stuffs à la fist of the north star, saint seya, city hunter, dragon ball, liveman etc... Last batch of archetypal male role models promoting noble ideas in a nutshell, such as bravery, honor, fight of good against evil etc... Pretty much every fucken cartoon for young boys were like that, even the tv shows for adults from knight rider to airwolf to automan, to stree hawk, to misfits of science, to blue thunder, to manimal, magnum PI, the renegade, youNameIt Few exceptions aside it was a pretty much planet based 24/7/365 on every channel, gtfo sponge bob Generations after genX started to get exposed to much more questionable content, in terms of moral values and life style, genX got exposed too, to some extent starting in the mid 90s, that's when shit started to degenerate into an entire different set of ideals. I think when nirvana, the music band, went mainstream (1992-94) is a good point of reference in terms of timeline. Suicidal junkie turning role model for the youth is quite revealing.