My stepdad smoked cigars on a regular basis. You are right, they stink regardless of how much you pay for them.
Bullshit. As with any acquired taste, the uninitiated can't discern good from bad. If we gave a young man a glass of Johnny Walker and asked him to compare it to a glass of good quality single malt, he'd probably recommend we mix both of them into some Coke.
If you think cigar fans are bad with their wood & leather, earth and pepper nonsense then try the pipe guys with their cavendish, SJP Perique, stoving, casing, twists and pressed crumble cakes. I find a beard too itchy to be a pipe man tho.