Both are true- a lot of ice cream places add flavors and stuff to their vanilla ice cream to make their other flavors of ice cream. Generally, those aren’t great ice cream places and that’s not great vanilla, but it is pretty common.
Vanilla is also its own flavor, and if it’s done well, it would be a bad choice for an all purpose base, because it’s a pretty dynamic flavor that doesn’t automatically work with everything. But again, a lot of people add vanilla extract to every baked good, even if it’s got contrasting flavors, so they’re used to vanilla in anything sweet and they’re not bothered.
Both are true- a lot of ice cream places add flavors and stuff to their vanilla ice cream to make their other flavors of ice cream. Generally, those aren’t great ice cream places and that’s not great vanilla, but it is pretty common.
Vanilla is also its own flavor, and if it’s done well, it would be a bad choice for an all purpose base, because it’s a pretty dynamic flavor that doesn’t automatically work with everything. But again, a lot of people add vanilla extract to every baked good, even if it’s got contrasting flavors, so they’re used to vanilla in anything sweet and they’re not bothered.