From my experience, I suspect it was a little of both. A little sugar makes the medicine go down, and all that. Sell it to kids who don't know any better, and let the ironic nature filter away over time. What comes to mind the ironic/pseudoironic use of fascist and totalitarian tropes for Warhammer 40K now turning into the use of the same memes and ideas in a new context, celebrating Donald Trump as the "God Emperor" and portraying liberals/cucks/whoever-they-hate-the-most-in-that-particular-moment as the "xenos".