Oh, I don't know. A lot of people have come in, been negatively typecast or pigeonholed, and then worked their way out of that. Shown us that we were wrong about them. But if they can't manage to work their way out of it, then I have to assume that the initial reaction was probably on target.
All Olaf has to do to stop being perceived as an asshole is to stop being an asshole. But he can't. It's not in his nature. That's fine (and I can relate), but in those cases you have to take the reaction that comes along with the role. If you whine that you are wrongly perceived, but do nothing to counter that perception, well then, tough shit, brother.
This isn't Ellis Island. All are not welcome. There is a barrier to entry, and that barrier is the group has to accept you. If they don't, there's not much that can be done. My own response to someone doesn't sway that tide one way or the other. There is proof of that all over the place. So the "bigger boy in the classroom" gripe is just more whining as far as I'm concerned. No one gives a shit whether or not I like Olaf (or anyone else). And that's as it should be. They acquired a distaste for him on their own.
I think that's an honest response.