I didn't realize people had such passionate feelings about these guys, positive or negative. Those facebook meme images are pretty awful though, if those swamped my facebook feed I'd be annoyed too. The author makes a good point they are basically emojis and can represent anything.
I think they are pretty funny in the Despicable Me movies. I thought they trailer for the new movie was amusing and I'm sure kids will love it; Minions, at least in the movies, are an embodiment of silliness. I'm not sure how a movie more focused on them will actually pan out, but I'm sure it will sell tons of merchandise.