Colored mats what the heck is that?

What's the deal with colored mats? I see all the colors of the rainbow in my camera club and yet if you go to the galleries and museums they universally have white or slightly off white mats.

I think many times the color matt creates a distraction and the photographer uses it if the work is not good enough to be shown on a simple white matt (or off white mat) and so they try to dress it up and camouflage it in the color!

If the work is good then all you need is a white matt to isolate it on the wall, you should not need the color mat gimmick. Follow the lead of the worlds top museums/gallerys and use white (offwhite)mats only!