It's Reality Show Clip Time!
December 28, 2015 4:22 PM Subscribe
After 22 years, E! ended The Soup on December 18. Last (and mostly) hosted by Joel McHale, The Soup was a reboot of Talk Soup and skewered pop culture. There were many and strange recurring characters, most important of whom was Lou.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do without The Soup, it was my main conduit for knowing about current pop culture.
ITSREALITYSHOWCLIPTIME
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 4:34 PM on December 28, 2015 [13 favorites]
ITSREALITYSHOWCLIPTIME
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 4:34 PM on December 28, 2015 [13 favorites]
Soooo meaty!
posted by Splunge at 4:35 PM on December 28, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 4:35 PM on December 28, 2015 [15 favorites]
I miss John "Skunk Boy" Henson. Talk Soup wasn't the same after he left.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 4:41 PM on December 28, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by a lungful of dragon at 4:41 PM on December 28, 2015 [14 favorites]
i always loved aisha tyler and use talk soup as an example when i suggest that she should be in the late late show slot.
posted by nadawi at 4:44 PM on December 28, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 4:44 PM on December 28, 2015 [10 favorites]
Bring back "The Dish!"
posted by drezdn at 4:45 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 4:45 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't think I watched it regularly since Greg Kinnear left.
posted by HeroZero at 4:48 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by HeroZero at 4:48 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
I liked this show until I got the feeling that it was actually just a commercial for E!'s other shows.
posted by bleep at 4:49 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by bleep at 4:49 PM on December 28, 2015
HeroZero: "I don't think I watched it regularly since Greg Kinnear left."
I'm not sure that I knew that it kept going after he left.
posted by octothorpe at 4:51 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm not sure that I knew that it kept going after he left.
posted by octothorpe at 4:51 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
The only thing that made me feel kinda bad about the show is that some poor intern had to WATCH all of those shows in order to get the clips.
Waiting for the tell-all book: "I watched seven straight hours of 'Kate and 8' for that 'COME AND GET YER POPCORN' comedy gold."
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:01 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Waiting for the tell-all book: "I watched seven straight hours of 'Kate and 8' for that 'COME AND GET YER POPCORN' comedy gold."
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:01 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
nadawi: "i always loved aisha tyler and use talk soup as an example when i suggest that she should be in the late late show slot."
You've seen her on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, right? I completely agree. She is a gem.
posted by Splunge at 5:13 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
You've seen her on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, right? I completely agree. She is a gem.
posted by Splunge at 5:13 PM on December 28, 2015 [3 favorites]
.
posted by How the runs scored at 5:15 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by How the runs scored at 5:15 PM on December 28, 2015
absolutely, Splurge, if she's taped it and made it available, i've watched at least some of it - hell i sometimes watch her talk show with the chenbot.
posted by nadawi at 5:28 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by nadawi at 5:28 PM on December 28, 2015
Thanks seiryuu. I attribute the typo to speaking with my uncle Joe earlier in the day.
And thanks to LobsterMitten for the quick fix!
posted by LizBoBiz at 5:33 PM on December 28, 2015
And thanks to LobsterMitten for the quick fix!
posted by LizBoBiz at 5:33 PM on December 28, 2015
No local station aired Springer when I was a kid in the '90s, so Talk Soup was the only way for me to see bits and pieces of that phenomenon. E! was also my sole access to Howard Stern, so that God the internet came around when it did.
I'd watch The Soup after getting into Community. It's a testament to McHale's charm that he was an entertaining host even with such clunky delivery. I know he's admitted on either Marc Maron or Adam Carolla's podcast that he's not good at reading from a teleprompter.
posted by riruro at 5:36 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'd watch The Soup after getting into Community. It's a testament to McHale's charm that he was an entertaining host even with such clunky delivery. I know he's admitted on either Marc Maron or Adam Carolla's podcast that he's not good at reading from a teleprompter.
posted by riruro at 5:36 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
Oh here go hell come (seriously, what am I going to do without Tales From Home Shopping?). On the bright side, no more Kardashians.
posted by plasticpalacealice at 5:45 PM on December 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by plasticpalacealice at 5:45 PM on December 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
Huh, I had no idea how many names of former Talk Soup hosts were rattling around in my brain.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:58 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:58 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit: “I'm not sure what I'm going to do without The Soup, it was my main conduit for knowing about current pop culture.”I'll likely lose touch with those aspects of pop-culture too. I'm certainly not going to watch a show that takes the subject seriously, as I imagine E! News or whatever it's called does.
bleep: “I liked this show until I got the feeling that it was actually just a commercial for E!'s other shows.”Only in the sense that it mentioned other E! shows while mocking them, I think.
riruro: “I know he's admitted on either Marc Maron or Adam Carolla's podcast that he's not good at reading from a teleprompter.”I always found his habit of saying, "Keep going," or, "Keep scrolling," when he decided the bit was over endearing. That many of the bits and sketches devolved into a shambles just made the whole thing more entertaining to me.
Of all the things they've done, I think the running gag with “On the Wings of Love” was my favorite.
posted by ob1quixote at 5:58 PM on December 28, 2015 [7 favorites]
We used to love Talk Soup, the college roomies and I. I never picked up The Soup.
posted by JHarris at 6:01 PM on December 28, 2015
posted by JHarris at 6:01 PM on December 28, 2015
The only thing that made me feel kinda bad about the show is that some poor intern had to WATCH all of those shows in order to get the clips.
At my show, about ten interns and four PAs were each assigned a year or so to watch. So maybe it's not that bad.
posted by nevercalm at 7:03 PM on December 28, 2015
At my show, about ten interns and four PAs were each assigned a year or so to watch. So maybe it's not that bad.
posted by nevercalm at 7:03 PM on December 28, 2015
I'm old school. I remember Senor Sock!
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 7:06 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 7:06 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]
*mournful chihuahua*
posted by Sys Rq at 7:31 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 7:31 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
Aw man. I hate everything The Soup covered, but their coverage of it was so fucking smart and they seemed to even judge themselves for covering it, no matter how critically they did so. My favorite moment ever was actually from this year, which should show that they only got better as time went on:
They were showing a clip from the execrable Hoarders. This clip was of the moment when a hoarder finally decides that she is willing to throw out a single pickle jar lid from years ago that she had been keeping. This one thing, out of a literal house full of garbage. But she takes that step. Joel's response is this:
"We at The Soup have 2 things to say. First, we want to congratulate Shiela on taking the first step in what must be an incredibly difficult road to recovery from this debilitating disease. We wish her well and hope she sees further success. Secondly, Shiela, are you sure that's not your lucky pickle jar lid?"
The Soup, you will be missed.
posted by shmegegge at 9:43 PM on December 28, 2015 [18 favorites]
They were showing a clip from the execrable Hoarders. This clip was of the moment when a hoarder finally decides that she is willing to throw out a single pickle jar lid from years ago that she had been keeping. This one thing, out of a literal house full of garbage. But she takes that step. Joel's response is this:
"We at The Soup have 2 things to say. First, we want to congratulate Shiela on taking the first step in what must be an incredibly difficult road to recovery from this debilitating disease. We wish her well and hope she sees further success. Secondly, Shiela, are you sure that's not your lucky pickle jar lid?"
The Soup, you will be missed.
posted by shmegegge at 9:43 PM on December 28, 2015 [18 favorites]
So sad this show is gone. I only started watching it a couple of months ago.
posted by Pendragon at 1:19 AM on December 29, 2015
posted by Pendragon at 1:19 AM on December 29, 2015
This was a great and too-little-known show. I only knew McHale as host, and yes he is charming and handsome, but also a really excellent comedian. Plus, I loved the scorn that was heaped on all those reality and other shows. Can anyone suggest a current alternative?
posted by anothermug at 4:35 AM on December 29, 2015
posted by anothermug at 4:35 AM on December 29, 2015
I'll miss this show, Joel McHale is so charming and the show gave us so many laughs. Watching the finale, I was surprised by just how many of their big clips have been lodged somewhere in my brain for years. And Spaghetti Cat was the best.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 5:12 AM on December 29, 2015
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 5:12 AM on December 29, 2015
I'd watch The Soup after getting into Community. It's a testament to McHale's charm that he was an entertaining host even with such clunky delivery. I know he's admitted on either Marc Maron or Adam Carolla's podcast that he's not good at reading from a teleprompter.
He definitely talks about his dyslexia in this Fresh Air interview. It talks about how the Soup was made too. And I think it's the interview where he mentions that Mankini was the funniest kid he knew in school, so when he got hired for the Soup, he called him up and hired him, which I find hilarious.
posted by purpleclover at 7:16 AM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm really going to miss clips from my favorite Japanese show, Gayusa.
posted by graventy at 7:36 AM on December 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by graventy at 7:36 AM on December 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Donka Dooballs.
posted by deezil at 9:35 AM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by deezil at 9:35 AM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am going to miss the Gold Rush Alaska coverage, because every time they started a segment I would tell myself "you are not going to laugh this time" and every time I would end up in tears from laughter. I enjoyed the whole show but whoever cut the Glory Hole segments together, I feel connected to on a deep spiritual level.
posted by Stacey at 10:45 AM on December 29, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 10:45 AM on December 29, 2015 [6 favorites]
#chickentetrazzini
posted by foldedfish at 11:11 AM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by foldedfish at 11:11 AM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
... whoever cut the Glory Hole segments together, I feel connected to on a deep spiritual level.
You get to meet him in one of the last episodes, they specifically bring him on camera to congratulate him on his overwhelming success in the editing booth.
The Soup, is, literally, the only thing I had programmed for myself on the DVR. Everything else was family or my wife's, but The Soup was mine. I would sit in my underwear on Saturday morning, alone in the living room, eating whatever I could find in the cupboards that could pass as "breakfast", laughing at the Soup and repeating the little intro bits -- "Chicks Man", "So Meaty", doing "Tales From Home Shopping" poorly synchronized with the rest -- out loud to nobody but my cats. It was a tradition.
I suppose if that's the target market of the Soup -- forty-something cat-dudes wearing only tighty-whities -- I can see why E! cut them off, but it still makes me sad.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:38 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
You get to meet him in one of the last episodes, they specifically bring him on camera to congratulate him on his overwhelming success in the editing booth.
The Soup, is, literally, the only thing I had programmed for myself on the DVR. Everything else was family or my wife's, but The Soup was mine. I would sit in my underwear on Saturday morning, alone in the living room, eating whatever I could find in the cupboards that could pass as "breakfast", laughing at the Soup and repeating the little intro bits -- "Chicks Man", "So Meaty", doing "Tales From Home Shopping" poorly synchronized with the rest -- out loud to nobody but my cats. It was a tradition.
I suppose if that's the target market of the Soup -- forty-something cat-dudes wearing only tighty-whities -- I can see why E! cut them off, but it still makes me sad.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:38 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
What am I going to do without Lou and Mankini? How am I going to have any idea what is on non PBS tv now? Who is going to watch crap like Small Town Security so I can see things like this?
At least I never have to watch E! again.
posted by Requiax at 1:46 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
At least I never have to watch E! again.
posted by Requiax at 1:46 PM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
I will miss The Soup so much. I loved that glimpse into all these shows I never watch, never even have access to, in the case of the obscure cooking shows, I Love Toy Trains and the like. It was a great filter.
I'll miss Joel's various ways of not saying 'It's Reality Show Clip Time!' but most of my other favourite recurring bits were already long gone: Spaghetti Cat, the excited 'It's Miley!' every time they mentioned early Miley Cyrus, Stephanie Pratt, Unlikely Voice of Reason, even the recurring exaggerated shooting they used to do that, even more amusingly, used to be censored here by having the guns blurred.
(They also used to blur the cigarettes, and even once blurred the screenshot of a clip of a dead Brooke in the pool in Melrose Place. That stopped a couple of years ago, but it wasn't rated G, E!, calm down.)
It was also one of those shows where anyone who turned up on it came off as likable, moreso the more they committed. And it cemented some of my favourites by the fact they recurred as guests, sometimes, it seemed, just because they wanted to goof off with Joel for a bit (thank you, Joe Manganiello). Of the last couple of months, I especially liked that female sportscaster's participation for example, because she threw herself into it, clearly had fun, and was also really funny to boot.
It was goofy fun and it will be very missed.
posted by gadge emeritus at 3:09 PM on December 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'll miss Joel's various ways of not saying 'It's Reality Show Clip Time!' but most of my other favourite recurring bits were already long gone: Spaghetti Cat, the excited 'It's Miley!' every time they mentioned early Miley Cyrus, Stephanie Pratt, Unlikely Voice of Reason, even the recurring exaggerated shooting they used to do that, even more amusingly, used to be censored here by having the guns blurred.
(They also used to blur the cigarettes, and even once blurred the screenshot of a clip of a dead Brooke in the pool in Melrose Place. That stopped a couple of years ago, but it wasn't rated G, E!, calm down.)
It was also one of those shows where anyone who turned up on it came off as likable, moreso the more they committed. And it cemented some of my favourites by the fact they recurred as guests, sometimes, it seemed, just because they wanted to goof off with Joel for a bit (thank you, Joe Manganiello). Of the last couple of months, I especially liked that female sportscaster's participation for example, because she threw herself into it, clearly had fun, and was also really funny to boot.
It was goofy fun and it will be very missed.
posted by gadge emeritus at 3:09 PM on December 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
Sooooo, ennyways.
posted by Graygorey at 11:01 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Graygorey at 11:01 PM on December 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
gadge emeritus: “Of the last couple of months, I especially liked that female sportscaster's participation for example, because she threw herself into it, clearly had fun, and was also really funny to boot. ”That was Michelle Beadle. She's on Sports Nation on ESPN and is really great on it. McHale has appeared on her show, too.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:59 PM on December 29, 2015
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posted by seiryuu at 4:27 PM on December 28, 2015 [4 favorites]