Cocky & Funny is good because it naturally 'breaks the ice'. You accomplish 2 things by it: you show your self confidence (you're not afraid to boast a little about what and who you are, as opposed to being the nice guy that almost doesn't seem to have the guts to admit he's actually good in certain areas), and you use humor which is such an ideal mechanism for breaking the ice and making her feel cool around you.
I just returned from holidays; there was this guy that wasn't especially good in 'getting the girls' (at one point, I had to send the fellow back to the girl that got interested in him, because I saw what was happening and he himself did not). But he was so freaking cocky & funny he became one of the most popular guys of the group. If he would want to become a player (which he obviously didn't want), he would be instantly successful.
He got this girl not by 'connecting' to her, etc., etc. (which I tried but not entirely succeeded in), but by teasing her, as he did with everyone else. This got him to appear like a very confident, self-aware guy - and to me he admitted to being quite shy.
So I'd say your view of c&f is not correct - in fact, it's the most natural way of attracting girls. However, it's easily overused. And, when used correctly, it leads to a lot of jealousy with men that obviously need to work on their alpha maleness and self confidence themselves.