No, they do care about celebrity and idol scandals, the same way that people in Western countries love to read tabloid scandals about entertainers they couldn't care less about overall. The difference here is that Ebichu is still fairly low on the celebrity totem pole, so they're not relevant enough to get published in the tabloid (much less with pictures that don't provide much in the way of hard evidence). Which is probably still a good thing, but no, this isn't as big of a deal because they aren't that famous. It's the difference between Justin Bieber doing something scandalous and, like, Austin Mahone doing something scandalous. One is a recognizable name that makes most everyone at least briefly curious, the other is relevant to many people and on the rise, but not nearly as many people care or even know who he is. Same situation, more or less, but we all love, to an extent, to see entertainers behaving badly, even if it's just arguing over whether it's actually bad or not or how much privacy they deserve. Idols wouldn't get fired or berated by (former) fans as often as they do if no one cared.

That's all pretty much scandal-as-entertainment, though, rather than scandal-as-serious-moral issue. And of course in the West, celebrities can behave horribly right up until they kill themselves (or someone else), and it's still just entertainment to most of the public. It's this businesss of idols getting fired and some fans turning against them in response to tempest-in-a-teapot scandals that seems to be distinctive to the idol world. I get the impression that when idols get fired for being caught in a scandal, it is in response to the angry reaction of idol fans (or management companies' anticipation of such a reaction), rather than to the reaction of the general public. If the public sees idol scandals as just more entertainment, then any given scandal is just a passing story that will be gone tomorrow, and idol management companies can afford to ignore such things, or simply issue formalized and meaningless press releases. But the (relatively small, perhaps, but very vocal group of) fans who are obsessed with their favorites and feel extremely posessive towards them are the ones who are likely to have a strong, negative reaction to these scandals -- and I'd guess that it's the reaction those fans (rather than the amused-in-passing general public) that idol management companies worry about.

Edit: But Mari and Becky both did bounce back, rather than having their careers end. And Erika pissed off the entertainment press, which is always a major strategic mistake. Idols seem to be in danger of getting their careers cut short just for being seen in public in the company of a guy, or even hanging out socially in a mixed male-female crowd. That's different.

That's an interesting setlist!

(And what happened to Hinata's foot? Given the odd medical conditions that have been coming up with Ebichu and Syachi, I wouldn't be surprised if it was gout!)
Edit: Ouch!

Yay!
Spoiler alert:

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku × Kibun
http://www.kibun.co.jp/brand/uogashiage/campaign/

New best album is called Chuu Satsu? So are they going to graduate from Chuugakkou to Koukou? Whut???

To be honest, I wouldn't even mind if they changed to a name more corresponding to their age, but it's about making a name for yourself as well. You don't want to lose the name recognition you might have going for you. As long as a dissolution isn't coming, I don't really care what they're called.

Turbulent times, there's no doubt about it.

I agree with both of you.
And I can understand that girls growing up in junior high gets to be kinda silly :)