Genuine question, can you elaborate on why you feel that such cycles are nonsensical? Cuz for me I just think that the celeb "paid their dues" by not receiving compensation/exposure for some time (like a prison sentence in the public eye), and if the misendeavor is minor enough they can be reaccepted.
Can't speak for people who actually care about celebrities, but the predictability and insincerity of this manufactured cycle would definitely bug me personally.
It is nonsensical for several reasons. First the outrage is largely manufactured by the media. Then, the public apologies are a tradition rather than genuine apologies. Just disappearing for a couple of years without fixing your actual behavior is absolutely fake, since it makes your apology a big farce.
Not GP, but I think they're saying that the whole process unfolds nonsensically, not that people making comebacks specifically is odd. That is, one celebrity may quickly bounce back from the same kind of scandal that burns someone else forever.
I'm no expert but I gather it has a lot to do with how powerful the talent agency involved is, and the relationships between the agencies and the news outlets.
