It is hard to say when the WWF Attitude Era started. According to WWE, it began sometime between June 1996 (when Brian Pillman pulled a gun on Steve Austin) and March 1998 (when Austin became WWF Champion). The Attitude Era saw the WWF move away from a family-friendly product towards a more adult-oriented one. With that came new extremes of sex, violence and sophomoric comedy as WWF tried to corner the 18-25 male demographic. They succeeded and the WWF experience a pronounced boom period and incredible success. Some viewers were turned off by the change in direction and the WWF incurred the wrath of moralist groups like the Parents Television Council which said that it's programming was unethical and dangerous for children to watch. Sponsorships were lost and lawsuits filed but, for the most part, Vince and company laughed all the way to the bank. As the WWF moved in a new direction they began to create new stars and the Attitude Era not only gave life to many new and unforgettable characters but it also breathed life into old ones. Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Mankind, Kane, The Hardy Boys, Kurt Angle, Trish Stratus€the list goes on and on. Along the way, however, there were notable misfires. Not everything the WWF touched turned to gold and they flat-out missed the boat on many performers.