I’m definitely someone who watches the Super Bowl more for the ads than for the game. My verdict for this year: bummer! So many ads about job-hunting services, free breakfasts, and cars that you can give back if you lose your job. I’d give it a C+ overall–and that’s because there were a lot of movie trailers bringing up the average.

I’d say, on the whole, NBC got it right. Or NBC stars, I should say. Their ads were funny–and not in that weird way that Starbursts ads THINK they’re funny when they’re really not (see also: the “grease monkey” commercial). And they managed to be funny without really talking about how the fabric of our society is unraveling around us. Take, for instance, the MacGruber ad Jesse already mentioned:

Two more of my favorites, starring Alec Baldwin and Conan O’Brien, after the jump:

Pet Sugar has an interview with the referee of the Puppy Bowl!  And in this picture, he’s holding my favorite puppy of the game!!

PetSugar: How did you get this job?

Ref: I’d say that it’s very similar to American Idol where they fill arenas with potential hopefuls that want to be the ref . . . but, in reality, I was already working for Animal Planet. I like to think I was born into the position. Some people are teachers, some people are firemen, and I referee adorable little puppies pretending to play football – it was meant to be.

Steve Martin is one of my comedy heroes, someone whose work I have appreciated on different levels since I was about ten years old, so I’m always thrilled to see him back hosting Saturday Night Live, even if his rate of appearance in the seventies (which, given the accompanying recurring characters and classic bits, has caused some layperson confusion as to whether he was actually a cast member; nope, never) has dwindled to a more cursory couple times a decade for old time’s sake.

Of course, it’s a little dispiriting that the motivating factor behind his two most recent appearances has been his Pink Panther franchise. In other words: hooray, a new Steve Martin SNL episode! But at what cost?

• It’s Paula Abdul’s stalker’s autopsy
• Lost: Nestor Carbonell does not wear eyeliner
• Finally a show that teaches pets to fetch beers
• What we’re (still) hating: Dr. Phil’s ratings in the crapper
• Jimmy Kimmel might be
• Amy Poehler’s new show Public Service has begun filming
• HIMYM: Frances Conroy will play Barney’s mom
• The AV club interviews Mayim Bialik (Blossom) about her Facts of Life spinoff
• Youtube: See the season premiere of
• Neil Patrick Harris pulled a Jack Donaghy and peed with the mic on
• This day in lists: The 5 funniest Sopranos episodes
• Hey it’s Aretha Franklin at the inauguration!
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