It does seem to me that from what people have said that it is inherrently without taste and people like it for the flavours they add to it. A bit like tofu.
Absolutely false. It has great flavour, when properly grown. But just as unripe tomatoes, bananas, etc. can have no flavour, so with aubergine. And using bad ingredients will always diminish the dish. Preparation can either highlight or suppress the flavour of eggplant, and as this thread shows some love the bitterness, others hate it. Both ways have equal merit. A lot of complexity and versatility from such an unpromising vegetable.