Arrr! Avast ye maties, tis a pirate post

There is something I do not quite understand. Why are pirates thought to be so cool?

Was it because of their kindness and good heartedness? Take Charles Vane, for example. A contemporary of the better known Blackbeard, he was reported as being what would, today, be termed a psychopath. Take, for example, the time he tied a sailor to a bowsprit, stuck a pistol in the guys mouth, propped his eyes open, and stuck burning matches in the eyes. Yes, there is a guy I want to emulate...

And since I mentioned Blackbeard...besides the men he killed, the ships and merchandise he stole, how about the ships with cargo he could not use...so he just destroyed the cargo and threw it overboard before sending the ship on its way. Yes, that should be a hero to all of us...

I could bring up the impressment of people that led to their hanging when they were caught, the diseases the pirates were famous for catching, their betrayals of each other...and I just don't understand why people think of them as heroes. Can someone enlighten me on why a group of vicious, cruel criminals is so beloved?