Super Bowl Ad Tracker: Chevy Cruze checks its status

Chevrolet might boast that the ability to check Facebook from the comfort of the driver's seat is the greatest addition to the automobile since the AM/FM radio. But, wow, it's probably the most terrifying. In this commercial, the drive home from a first date is too long to wait to check Facebook. 

It's amazing what a car can do, sure. What does that say about us? I'm fully cognizant of the fact that I'm writing this while simultaneously watching television and watching YouTube videos and blogging. Still, can't we protect the sanctity of the driver's seat -- the one place other than church where it's alright to keep technology to a minimum.

What do you think? Does this feature make you want to buy a Chevy Cruze? 

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: With a sip of Budweiser, the Wild West breaks into song

Budweiser has a reputation to maintain with its Super Bowl ads, competing with Clydesdale horses and croaking frogs. This year, the horses ventured to the Wild West for a rogue cowboy ready to draw for a Bud. He luckily gets one, and it's so great, it seems, that he can't help but sing. 

I didn't find it all that funny. What did you think?

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: (Claymation) Eminem hates everything ... except for Brisk Iced Tea

Even in claymation form, Eminem manages to be terrifying. As he advertises Brisk Iced Tea during the Super Bowl, he shows that he has a lot of demands and can be a bit of a hater.  Even the grinch of hip-hop apparently can't hate Brisk

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: CareerBuilder has chimps! Driving a car!

The chimps are back in action, appearing once again in the Super Bowl ads for CareerBuilder. The job-search website has made stars of suit-wearing chimpanzees for its Super Bowl ads. And this year, they're behind the wheel of a car!

Thanks to the recession, job hunting hasn't been a laughing matter of late. So you have to give props to a website charged with helping people find a job for having a sense of humor.

Plus, chimps pretending to be people -- it's always a win! If these animals didn't have a reputation for brutally attacking their owners when kept as house pets, I would have one. And he would, of course, be wearing a suit.

What did you think? Does CareerBuilder's ad this year hold up against previous years' ads, and how does it stand in the pantheon of Chimps As People?

-- Rick Rojas

Here, from YouTube, is a compilation of previous year's ads. If you too have the type of sophomoric humor that finds chimpanzees in the workplace as the source of a rollicking laugh, watch this -- and LOL.

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: The force is within the Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Passat, as demonstrated in its Super Bowl ad, has the force not only to be convenient with its remote ignition, but it can also amuse your children. Volkswagen has a history of scoring big with its ads during the Super Bowl, and they've maintained that reputation this year. This ad is probably one of the simplest but funniest of the night.

What did you think? Do you want to buy a Volkswagen now just to play with the keyless ignition?

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: Love hurts. A Pepsi Max can to the head hurts even more.

Who knew a can of Pepsi Max could be a near-lethal weapon? In its Super Bowl ad, Pepsi Max attempts to reach out the ladies, perhaps, as they market the no-calorie soda as a way to keep their man in line. If that fails, it's no-calorie, so they'll be in good enough shape for a speedy getaway.

This ad, part of the Doritos and Pepsi Max Crash the Super Bowl competition, was created by Brad Bosley, 28, of Los Angeles. The 28-year-old aspiring writer and director made the commercial with a budget of $800. 

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: Doritos — it's like a drug

Nothing beats the addictive cheesy dust left behind by nacho cheese-flavored Doritos, even if it violates all acceptable social norms in this Super Bowl ad. The ad is a part of its user-generated ad contest with Pepsi max.

This finger-lickin' ad was created by Tyler Dixon, a 35-year-old Lehi, Utah, native, who works by day as a door-to-door satellite TV salesman. His budget: a paltry $82. Apparently it doesn't cost that much to be funny.

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: The cinematic epic of the Kia Optima

Considering that the Kia Optima is a modest car with a reasonable price, the Super Bowl ad for it is mind-blowing in its production value and intensity. It is perhaps one of the most creative and intense of the 60-second spots. Although others -- like Audi, for example -- went for the funny bone, Kia went for the cinematic va-voom factor. In the process, they create an ad that's visually stunning in what could pass as a movie ... about a mid-size sedan.

-- Rick Rojas

Super Bowl Ad Tracker: Audi A8 wants to make Kenny G the next Betty White

The Super Bowl ad for the Audi A8 luxury sedan may be a bit absurd, but it was wonderful. Pretentious people in a ritzy prison? Kenny G? The Mercedes-Benz as a trap? I'd dare say Kenny G might be the Betty White of the 2011 Super Bowl.

What did you think? How does Kenny G stand amid the breakout stars of Super Bowl ads?

-- Rick Rojas

Tweeters' Digest: The week in TV tweets

In between the self-promotion (watch my show!), the responses to fans (thanks for watching my show!) and the revelations of personal minutiae (I'm going to the gym before I watch my show!), famous people take to Twitter to comment on the news of the world.

With Rob Lowe and Anderson Cooper on the revolution in Egypt, Donald Glover and Adrian Grenier anticipating the SuperBowl and Damon Lindelof still defending the final episode of "Lost," here are some highlights of the week — after the jump — as captured in tweets from actors, show runners, TV anchors and reality stars.

— Joy Press

twitter.com/joypress

Photo: Rob Lowe. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times.