Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Celebrity Cameos Guaranteed to Disappoint

A-list celebrities and Super Bowl commercials go hand-in-hand.

Companies dole out the big bucks to land the most high-profile people they can in order to get people excited about their products. This year's crop of ads is no different, but not all of them are going to be winners. 

Getting worked up over commercials is a ridiculous endeavor, but the Super Bowl ads have taken on a life of their own. It is up to us to judge what worked and what didn't, what will be remembered and what should fade into obscurity never to be seen again. 

Here are the commercials that feature surprising celebrity cameos that are destined to fall into the obscurity column. 

JAY LENO WEARING A JET PACK

Perhaps it is just because I am a Conan O'Brien fan, but whenever I see Jay Leno on-screen I want to throw something through the television. That is why I have never watched one second of his show since he stole the gig from "CoCo." 

That said, Leno's spot with David Letterman and Oprah two years ago was a pleasant surprise. This year, however, he does not add anything to the Acura commercial with Jerry Seinfeld. 

Seinfeld is fine in his role, as the perspective car-buyer desperate to get this car. But Leno just needs to stay away from commercials that don't involve Letterman or Oprah. 

REGIS PHILBIN FOR PEPSI MAX

This year's Pepsi Max commercial is a clever entry into the long-running series featuring a Coca-Cola employee buying the enemy's product. 

The celebration for the Coke employee as he wins Pepsi Max for life is a fun touch that gets a laugh or two. 

It concludes with Regis walking in, handing the employee a check while declaring that he is back. (He retired from his gig with Kelly Ripa late last year.) He adds nothing to the commercial, other than to shine a light on his retirement. 

If Dana Carvey showed up dressed as Regis, then it would have been a good cameo. As it is, nothing fun happens when he is on the screen. 

FLAVOR FLAV IN PEPSI

I don't hate Pepsi, but they have two cameos that don't light the world on fire. I will readily admit that the Flavor Flav craze has baffled me. His work with Public Enemy speaks to his talent as a singer, songwriter and performer. 

His persona outside of music is so bafflingly stupid. The whole "YEAH, BOYYYYY!" thing stopped being funny years ago. 

Yet, here he is in a dungeon with Elton John shouting his famous catchphrase that will undoubtedly have fans everywhere screaming. It just doesn't do anything to enhance the already mediocre commercial. 

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