I guess I kind of straddle the line. Here's my essay on the matter and then I don't think I'll have much else to say about it haha.
Obviously there are things they do that are planned and staged. I don't find it offensive that they stage their stage shows... most artists do. You'll find Dolly Parton reads the same stories off a teleprompter between songs night after night after night. It's just how things are done nowadays, for the most part. We should really be happy they don't have back-up dancers and that Stevie isn't doing choreography
It'd be nice if everything were spontaneous and off the cuff, but the reality is that planning things ahead of times makes it so that they can ensure the shows aren't boring, so if they're having an off night they are still giving something to those watching. And yes, SnL stage interactions with each other specifically because they know the audience will enjoy that. I don't exactly love that this happens, but I accept it because I understand the reasoning. Wish it were different but I've come to terms with it I guess.
However, I don't think every breath these people take and every word out of their mouth is scripted and rehearsed. To me, that's just as ridiculous as assuming that everything they do is 100% in the moment. They aren't robots. Do they want money? Probably. Do they need money? Probably not. Will holding hands during interviews get them more money? A negligible amount, if anything, honestly... Is anyone really going to watch this and go "Oh man, Stevie touched Lindsey's arm. I've gotta get tickets now."
They'd get more publicity if it were MICK and Lindsey holding hands. Does it drum up interest? Sure, but only among people like us who are already nuts over the band anyway.
Personally, I don't doubt that in the On The Red Carpet interview Lindsey grabbed Stevie's hand because he could tell Mick was about to talk to him. That makes sense to me to do in general, and I don't think that it necessarily means they had some kind of huddle before the interview where they strategically planned out the logistics of every answer and every interaction. The other moments seemed spontaneous to me. Of course it wouldn't appear natural to us, because it's not something we're used to seeing happen. So no, I personally don't entirely think that the hand holding itself was staged. The notion that they would focus on/play up their relationship - sure. And I think that probably is what opened the door for all of that stuff being done in the interviews.
Saying they are 'old friends' is grossly oversimplifying their relationship - but in regards to these press PDA's, I'll suggest that it seems to me that the death of Stevie's mother really
has shifted their dynamic a little bit and perhaps one of the reasons they seem to both be in a very sappy state of mind regarding each other. Maybe they are finally at a place where they feel ABLE to show genuine affection for each other without any underlying tension or contempt or whatever else may have been there in the past (and might still be there, but is being overlooked for the time behind - who knows). I'd imagine that would be nice for them at this point in their lives.
Then again, I come from a touchy-feely family who holds hands and kisses all the time and stuff so I tend to have a different perspective on this kind of thing than a lot of others, I realize.
And anyawys, I do think they are creepy, in a weird but sweet kind of way. It's not normal to do that naturally, and it's still quite odd to do it even if it was planned . But they aren't very normal people so I don't know why we would expect them to be.
*phew* Just my opinion, obviously.