Actually, I didn't hate Wesley Crusher. I've enjoyed Wil's acting since he was in Stand By Me, the movie based on Stephen King's short The Body. It is very difficult to play (basically) a goody-two-shoes for an entire series, and he pulled it off. One of the positive things he demonstrated was that if you do fuck up (and he does often enough), by being straightforward and honest about it you can change your mistake into a positive growth experience. While the legions of jaded teens scoffed at the character, he was looked up to by the younger crowd (11-and-below). My youngest daughter thought he was cute and would talk to me after an episode that featured Wesley screwing up, then saving his own ass. The character taught self-reliance and honesty. Yes, just like any real-life kid that tries to "do the right thing", he gets picked at by teens who could see what they should be doing, yet chose not to do.