People who revere assholes become assholes themselves. Some people who revere hackers become decent hackers. Conclusion: If we want to minimize assholes in hacker culture (and we DO), we should not revere assholes. "No TRUE Scotsman...". Nerds aren't very smart, and are very impressionable and prone to hero-worship. They don't form their own opinions through careful and unbiased consideration of the facts; no one does. They're a product of a culture, just like the rest of us. Therefore, we have an ethical imperative to not allow assholes such as ESR to control any amount of social capital, nor have any influence over the youth.People who revere assholes are assholes themselves, and (sad to say) some assholes are decent hackers.
Any nerd worth their salt can make up their own mind.