Cocktails

What exactly is the purpose of the cocktail? As far as I can see the only thing they are good for is getting girlies exceedingly drunk and then equally unwell with the added bonus or really unpleasant smelling vomit (as opposed to ordinary vomit which just smells unpleasant) - this I hasten to add is not me being sexist (well perhaps just a tiny bit) -just that most cocktails seem to come in shades which frankly do not generally appeal to the male drinker, I mean you'd have to be really sure of your sexuality to be seen in public drinking something that is pink or some pastel shade - that or already so roaring drunk that it seemed like a good idea at the time.
The other think with these drinks that I don't really understand is how they actually come up with the idea, unless of course the mixologists (as I believe they call bartenders in the more trendy establishments that I wouldn't be seen dead in) are the sort of people who used to go to the same sort of parties I went to when I was a teenager but took notes of those bizarre combinations of alcohol that got created at about 2 am when all the decent stuff had been drunk....mine's a pint of gin, malibu, pernod, rhubarb wine and panda cola...