He wasn't referencing Edward Scissorhands or Fear and Loathing. This pirate had a mental image of the job that came from the same Jerry Bruckheimer movies yours does. It's no coincidence Somali pirates struck a chord with American audiences. Look at these guys -- they're everything we want out of a plucky movie pirate crew:
U.S. Navy
Right down to the literal red shirt.
At one point Payne sent some local Somali journalists onto the boats to get pictures of pirates in their natural habitat. He reviewed the footage later and realized something: These guys were consciously posing every time the camera panned their way. This ...
Via Thymaya Payne
... was basically a Facebook profile pic. When the camera wasn't on them, the pirates didn't bother to look menacing.
Via Thymaya Payne
Except for rocket-launcher guy. There's something inherently menacing about him.