"Cuteness" can even get you a job. As an idol, or as a model for instance...

An idol? You mean like a god or something? The Outside is scary.

The origin of the word is as you said, "idol" in the sense of "object of worship".

The people we call idols do stuff like sing and dance.

But their supporters' level of fanaticism approaches "worship", so hence the term "idols".