To be fair, their no date rule is just a few short years... idols don't stay idols long and they have busy careers that could give them a chance to go further....
And part of the reason is that idols are performers... their performance isn't just the stage, but their entire persona and life...
That said, I also find it cringe... but I hate that word as well because everyone finds different things cringe... hell, for me, idols and idol fandom feels cringe.... always felt something creepy about it...
Doesn't help that I always preferred MILFs even as a kid.... so maybe I'm not the best person....