The Soup (2004–2020) User Reviews

Joel McHale tells it like it is.

[DarkVulcan29 · 9/10 · 25 March 2007]

First there was Talk Soup , a show that focused on trashy, well some of them were trashy talk shows, and it always had a funny host who knew the right kind of jokes to say. And then it went off the air. And in 2004 it gets brought back, and it is retitled The Soup, with host Joel McHale commenting and coming up with very funny one liners. They must pick the right clips from those shows because Joel Mchale delivers those jokes funny and perfectly. Some of those shows are just screaming out to be poked fun, like The View, And American Idol. And Joel McHale proves to be a comic genius. The Soup is just a half hour of fun. Please keep it up JOEL.

Joel McHale is a Stellar Host!

[clahners · 8/10 · 16 February 2008]

I don't watch a lot of TV, except for The Office, Weeds, Entourage and E!'s Soup. I think I hold this show in good company.

I love the scathing review of pop culture that this show gives. Soup also helps me stay on top of what people in the office are referring to when talking about a Sanjaya or Heidi Montag (sp?).

The best part is that Soup shows clips of the highlights of these shows, which are usually the funniest or most controversial moments (c'mon, most people get hooked into watching American Idol because of the freak show that are the auditions), which is why most people claim to watch. And that means, I don't have to suffer through the other 98% of these mind numbing talk shows or "reality" shows, for one nugget of "funny" or "shock." The only reason why Soup doesn't get a 10 in my opinion are sometime the sketches are not that funny, and on an even rarer occasion, the commentary isn't always up to par. But they can't all be home runs either, if so, Soup wouldn't be on E!.

Joel's quick wit and Soup's writing team (which includes McHale) make for a great show. I happen to enjoy the laughing and comments from the crew who are off-camera. Even when they're being blatantly obvious by giving occasional courtesy laughs, it's hilarious because it IS forced. They're obviously being ironic. And that's part of what makes this show funny.

Great Advancement of "Talk Soup".

[lambiepie-2 · 8/10 · 2 February 2007]

I do remember "Talk Soup" and the other incarnations of this show -- and many hosts have gone on to become household names. "Talk Soup", began lampooning they myriad of talk shows that were filling the airwaves, then just evolved into "The Soup". This incarnation, "The Soup" is lampooning talk shows and more on television and makes no doubt that this host will also go on to become a national name too.

What a good advancement of the series. Joe has come to make this program his own and it's silly, tragic and fun all at the same time. You chuckle, you laugh, you wonder - what the heck is on TV and in many cases you're so interested you find yourself wondering - what is the channel of the clip he's currently lampooning? The addition of the 'live' skits to enhance or further explain the show clips are funny. At one point in the series I started to wonder: What if Joe got the part from Ryan Seacrest on "American Idol" - boy would THAT show be even more entertaining! He's that engaging.

The clips chosen form all the television fare are just to "die" for. And that's the highlight of the show: how much TV has to offer - no matter where it comes from..and WHY?!?!??! Definitely a great show for lampooning our favorite past time of watching TV and what is on when we may be looking at something else more worthwhile.

can't say much about the original talk soup, but this 'new' version is great brain candy

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 29 September 2006]

The Soup has become one of those nifty little pleasures of cable TV for me recently. To say that it's a guilty pleasure might be a little hard to say, as it is basically just a summary of all of the weird, crazy, delirious, whatever-you-call-it, and plain bad and near offensive TV of the past week. So to say it's a guilty pleasure would mean that it's sort of wrong on a level to watch the show, hard to admit. But the whole program is like a full-on pop culture version with a little more goofiness of what the Daily Show does in its first eight or nine minutes of reviewing clips. It's satire, though of a fairly low denomination where very cheap graphics, sometimes lame jokes, and lots of tongue placed in as many firm cheeks as possible end up squeezing out jokes. It's hosted by Joel McHale in a very smarmy, sarcastic manner, but he makes it work for what it's worth, and one becomes sort of adjusted to what his shtick is after a while.

Ironically, McHale has his work cut out for him, because the clips are sometimes very funny on their own, without really a word or gesture or gag to add to it. Reality Show clip-time, Chat Stew ("so meaty"), What the Kids Are Watching, and Clip of the Week are among the regulars, and in this dire swamp of pop culture and other TV- sometimes stretching to international lengths with Spanish soap operas and inexplicable Japanese shows- is never-ending. If anything as time goes on, there's almost too much to choose from. There are new categories created each week by McHale and his writers, two of them being funny by themselves in just having no other choice but to make fun of where the Soup itself broadcasts from- the E network (Lets Take Some E! is one new segment, as well as a whole list of those un-Godly tabloid TV shows like E.T. and Access Hollywood). It's basically a fun way to spend half an hour on a Friday night or Saturday morning, and as someone who doesn't really watch much TV and tries, sometimes without success, to avoid bad TV even when it's ironically good or horrific celebrities and people on reality shows I shouldn't give a damn about, it's a great little treat.

Possibly The Best Show That I Have Recently Discovered With Some Very Good Humor About Recent News (SPOILERS)

[I_Am_The_Taylrus · 10/10 · 1 April 2007]

SPOILERS

I was flipping through the channels about a week ago and I saw that the Soup was on. I had no idea that the Soup was a comedy about news, I always thought it was some cheesy soap opera. When it on I was amazed to find that it was, well, a comedy about the news. It was so funny, mainly because it had stuff about Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol on it. The Soup is easily one of my favorite shows, but it will never be as good as the Simpsons.

Here is the basis of this show. Joel McHale hosts this show that makes fun about the recent stories on the news. There are usually an insult to every news coverage. There are also some weekly regulars. For example, Chat Stew, What the Kids Are Watching, Chicks, Man, the Celebrity Name Generator, Gina D, Milly Muffin, Sanjaya Malakar, and Let's Take Some E. At the end of each episode there is the Clip of the Week, which is a funny or bad clip that was talked about in the pass week.

Overall, this is a great show to watch. This is definitely one of the best shows on E! and is one of the funniest shows that I have seen in a while. Some of the jokes are not the best, but trust me, you will laugh out loud for every single episode. Some of my favorites are the House of Sanjaya clip and the HipHop Harry dried apple clip. The pun is the fact that one of the children has no idea what a dried apple is. I don't know, maybe it's a dried apple! I also enjoy Milly Muffin.

Anyway, this is a fun show to watch if you have nothing better to do or if you want a good laugh.

10/10

Recommended Titles: Best Week Ever.

Great Show!

[mittensbrady · 10/10 · 7 November 2006]

I love this show and I love the host and I love the segments! This show has many great elements to it. First of all,it has a great host (or M.C.):Mr.Joel McHale,who,week after week,pokes fun at pop culture and at reality shows. What he does exactly is he does a introduction (for example on America's Next Top Model,Tyra made everybody take off their clothes and play in the mud,I don't know why,I just know that it happened,here's the clip),and then he shows the clip (example of the clip:Whoo! This is a lot of fun in the mud,where white people can become black in seconds!),and finally,he comments on the clip (example:So,Trya,are you saying that you were once white? I can't believe it.) (NOTE:I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the above statement.) Anyways,that example above is the example of what Joel McHale does to reality shows,children's shows (yes,you heard me),talk shows (Talk Soup...get it?) and celebrity events. I've gotta tell you about the segments on the show. Yes,there are segments. Chat Stew is a great segment (with a great introduction,"So meaty!") in which Joel makes fun of talk shows (like The View,Oprah,Today,and he made fun of Tony Danza too,a LOT when he had his talk show last season). Reality Show Clip Time is another great segment where Joel makes fun of crazy clips from reality shows. There are just many overall great segments on The Soup. And,by the way,the segments are the second reason why The Soup is a great show. And,third,have to be the running gags,from a Whitney Houston line to Hamwinkies to the PT Cruiser Lady. Watch The Soup for these three great elements every Friday night at 10/9 Central on E!.

Why losing The Soup is a tragedy

[allycoyote-100-851316 · 10/10 · 28 November 2015]

In an age where the Kardashians are revered and not reviled as they should be, a show like The Soup can make me feel that I am not the only one watching the horror show that is modern pop culture melting and devolving further and further into a sinking abyss of despair. Through Joel Mchale and staff's wit and irony they were able to somehow make this bitter pill more palatable and made it seem, well not so terrible. We as the audience felt a part of the mockery and could all laugh together and it seemed like those shows were made just for us Soup fans so we had something to laugh at. The honey boo boos and Duck Dynastys, RuPauls Drag Races and psychic whatevers , Ghost Hunting BS-ers and Finding Bigfoots et al could be hilarious and not horrifying. Now without Joel's charm and all the brilliant guest appearances (Lucy Lawless, Mankini and a paint roller full of cheese for one), bizarre regular characters (dancing maxi-Pad and the brilliant parody of Kim Fields) and sometimes even Shakespearean level (through sheer effort alone if anything) skits, E will degenerate into a steaming pile of garish reality, fashion criticisms and embarrassing red carpet interview shows without irony and without the channels' self-mockery provided by The Soup, there is just despair that anyone will really want to view these shows without the reasoning that they will be in on it when The Soup mocks them weekly.

I am deeply saddened. I have been watching The Soup for a long time. I became a fan of Community because of Joel and even trekked all the way to Rama, Ontario to see him live. There have been some very dark days indeed for me and though yes, pitiably enough you may think, but yes, often it was my lone life preserver to look forward to being thrown at me. The one short, shining period that I knew laughter would come and brighten my mood. Sometimes it was just enough to get me through. I am not simply referencing some self- indulgent depression here, I was recovering from a brutal crime. Not trying to elicit sympathy, I am merely pointing out it was really a bad time for me. Though times for me now are thankfully not so bad, who knows what else may come my way without the solace of The Soup to comfort me? This is a show that relies on freshness and current culture so re-reruns, though charming just don't have the same oomph. In fact isn't that one of the major functions of entertainment for us in general? The sweet escape, the feeling of belonging to a group and the comfort that it will be there for us, even when so many things in this life are not reliable. With heavy heart and many thanks I bid goodbye to The Soup, I will miss you greatly.

"Way to cancel the one good thing you have, E!"

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 19 February 2016]

"The Soup" provided a window into the trash-strewn world of television on a weekly basis, guilt-free. That's one of the (many) reasons I tuned in each week. Just the morbid fascination with the awfulness being peddled by major networks on a regular basis. The only way you can watch any reality TV is with someone viciously making fun of it, and Joel McHale was the perfect host. He had just the right balance of snark and likability to make the circus funny.

And I love the running gags; Mankini, Lou the Chihuahua, Whitney Houston's "KISSMYASS!", spaghetti cat, all of them. McHale's doesn't really need pity (he'll do fine), it's the writers and interns you have to feel bad for. They came up with some damn good material, week after week (all the while making their host look good). And you've gotta love a staff that so joyously lampoons their employers.

I give this show immense credit for completely differentiating itself from "Talk Soup" (apples and oranges, really), not to mention all of the knock-offs that came afterword (Web Junk, Web Soup, Tosh.0, yadda yadda yadda). It was something special, and it will indeed be missed.

10/10

A Great Lampoon of Television. E!'s Best Show

[michael_the_nermal · 8/10 · 2 November 2006]

Some spoilers ahead

This show is far superior to its predecessor, "Talk Soup," for two reasons: it mocks all television programs and commercials, rather than only talk shows; and its host, Joel McHale, is a witty and smarmy entertainer, whose sarcastic remarks and self-deprecating demeanor far outdoes anything John Henson or Hal Sparks ever did. This show is unique in that it mocks as many programs in the medium of television as it can. Some segments go after celebrity idiocies, some mock the glib pretentiousness of tabloid news magazines, while other go after inappropriate moments, gaffes, and faux pas' on dance shows. The best segments mock unintentionally funny or creepy moments on TV shows, such as the technical difficulties on a game show that airs in the wee hours of the morning on the USA network, or an exploding teddy bear on a Spanish telenovela. This program will soon be a classic of not only the E! network, but of television. Its style may be unconventional, but it is very funny and usually clever. Fans of "Talk Soup" will love it.

For the most part lost it's thunder...

[Alpha_PL · 6/10 · 13 April 2010]

From what I saw watching the clips from episodes way back when the show started, this show was very funny. I highly recommend getting the older episodes from iTunes, where they are not so expensive, since they are basically a laugh factory. But recently like the title of this review states, this show has lost it's thunder. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's still laugh out loud hilarious, but those episodes come few and pretty far in between. Mostly it's because of the fact, that on some weeks they couldn't manage to find some funny clips from TV shows, so they fill the 30-minute time slot with boring skits that are worse then the ones from MadTV (I have no idea how they've managed that).

Other annoyances include "guest stars" that for the most part are simply not funny, so whatever momentum the show has gained through awesome clips in the beginning of the episode is quickly lost when you have to watch a celebrity read lines from a teleprompter that were supposed to be funny, but in reality they fail big time. Most of the guest spots end with shooting the imaginary, too overused lately, gun at the intern Matt and with plugging of the new TV show of said celebrity. In the history of the guest spots only two have worked- Bryan Cranston's when he was promoting season two Breaking Bad and Michael Emerson's when he promoted the last season of Lost. And there was around 1,5 year gap between the two, filled with badly read jokes by the Kardashians or The Hills alums. But I guess that they have to get the budget of the show from somewhere.

The host- Joel McHale- does a pretty good job. He's especially funny when he's ad-libbing, not so much when he's reading lame jokes from the teleprompter. What's amusing that even if he reads a totally unfunny joke, the audience (which is composed of friends and family of makers of the shows) goes crazy like monkeys in the zoo. It's basically the equivalent of a bad sitcom, where no matter how bad the jokes are, the audience laughs anyway.

In conclusion, if you have nothing else to do, I recommend watching The Soup. Maybe you will be lucky and the week that preceded that episode had some actually funny clips, otherwise you're stuck with 30 minutes of filler material.

I have Seen it and Laughed at it

[DaveHasNoTimeForAnyOfThisBull · 8/10 · 19 December 2006]

This comment is just to say that this show is great social commentary, satire, and humor. Everything Joel McHale says is what deep down we all are thinking. For instance, an American Idol contestant with an Eastern European accent is sinking "I'm proud to be an American" very badly and Joel says "we should close the boarders." It may be sarcasm but it's true. However, he can be accused of cheating at humor by showing clips that would garner laughs even if he made no comments. The "Laguna Beach," David Hasselhoff, and Whitney Houston clips are meant for laughs by the performers.

Some segments begin with a montage of subject matter such as what children, old people, chat shows, E!, or a man watches. It adds to the hilarity and absurdity of the era we live in. I'd give it an 8 out of ten.

Jade Catta-Pratta, Season 13, is awful

[brent-82427 · 2/10 · 25 February 2020]

Joel McHale and the legacy "Soup" was the most hilarious TV show I have ever watched. I would frequently laugh until I started crying.

I'm crying now, but they are tears of disappointment over how not-funny and not-entertaining the new Soup is. I'm sure Jade Catta-Pratta is a great match for hosting something, but this is not it.

I would give it zero stars, but the video clips are still funny although they don't seem as raunchy and funny as they were during the Joel McHale days.

Very Big Disappointment.

Can't believe E canceled this...

[mg75535 · 10/10 · 12 May 2017]

I honestly can't believe E canceled this show after TWELVE years to make room for what? more sex and the city reruns? more Kardashian spins offs? This show was HYSTERICAL. You get to see the funny parts of shows you actually have no interest in watching (the bachelor, etc) with the added bonus of Joel McHale's hilarious commentary. I'm desperately hoping that someone will start a campaign to get Netflix to pick up the soup. The did it with Chelsea Handler, so Netflix, if you're reading this pick up the soup!!

the soup is Hilarius

[samcracc · 10/10 · 6 July 2007]

Sam and me watch this show and it is hysterical. Joel McHale (the host of the soup) is Hilarius. Jewbacca is funny. Bikini man is Hilarius. Whats funny that Jewbacca talks about two wookies sitting in a deli. Whats cute that they show Gina Ds kids club show. A video of Tyra Banks was a total idiot. Kelly Andrews as Ripsi was cute. Whats also Hilarius that Jewbacca gives Joel McHale (the host of the soup) the cup and when Chewbacca was in jail in Hollywood California. Jewbacca looks like a yourkish Chewbacca. Joel McHale's dog was cute in The Soup. This show is Hilarius you will like the characters there are so Hilarius except of Tyra Banks video those are stupid. This show is on E but not on schedule if you want to watch the clips on the soup look up you tube.

It's all over for Joel, Lou & Mankini

[Twins65 · 8/10 · 22 December 2015]

Just watched the last episode, and it's sad to know this has been canned while all of the "reality" crap E! trots out with regularity will live on---and I'm sure you know what shows I'm referring to. The final show was another gem in a long line of way more hits than misses.

I'm sure there's more to it than just ratings for its demise, as this show has really seeped into the pop culture mainstream, and remains what it's always been...FUNNY! Also, it was a great way to keep up with "Gold Rush Alaska" and "Hoarding", which I never could tell whether or not they were real shows, but I'm guessing they were.

I could always count on several laugh-out-loud moments in my 30 minute on-demand viewing each week, AND NOW THOSE ARE GONE FOREVER! Thanks E!, you just lost a viewer.

And here's to you, Spaghetti Cat!

Good sketch talk show

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 19 May 2014]

In my opinion, this is a good sketch talk show. I enjoy seeing Joel McHale as the host. There are many reasons why I said that. One of the most hilarious things about this show is when Joel McHale pokes fun at or makes fun of other celebrities. If you ask me, Lou the Chihuahua is funny, too. Everything about this show makes me smile and laugh when I watch it. I especially enjoy watching it with friends and family. Before I wrap this up, I must say that I hope that this show will be on E! for many more years to come. Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend this show to all you die-hard sketch talk show fans. You will really enjoy it.

Something, somewhat cult, iconic and hilarious.

[Bunuelisto · 9/10 · 13 February 2020]

What a cult little phenomena, with one brilliant Joel McHale, it reviews all TV (mostly Us) in all its ridiculous, along its satirical take. Nevermind the tiny format, it's all fun with the great running gags, legendary catchphrases (think what ....., Etc), good plays with guests, unexpected segments and truly magical recurring characters (mank....., Etc).

The host plays a aimed-to-be sarcastic (, nihilist?) typical characters is very well handled by Mr McHale who turns out to offers something somewhat cult, iconic and hilarious.

2020

[windsorenquirer · 1/10 · 24 February 2020]

McHale was good, the new host... meh. I hardly find anything funny in her picks, maybe because i don't watch the shows she uses video clips from. I don't know. So no, not going to watch it in 2020. Oh.. let's not forget this annoying stupid laugh track!

I give it a 5-ish

[bettinahooper · 5/10 · 15 February 2020]

It looks like E! Hasn't noticed the cultural shift since McHale left...the new host , Jade Catta Pretta might be excellent but the formula hasn't changed during the 5 year hiatus. Has E! forgotten the shift between Tyler's 'Talk Soup' and McHale's 'the Soup'? It worked like a dream and added new viewers! The first (new 2020) episode comes off as a tired recap of past-their-prime housewife reality......figure this out E!!!!! Don't waste the talents of some clearly talented writers and a smart, charming presenter!

It's 2020! Fix this! We need you!

The show is getting very stale

[ray-541 · 2/10 · 5 September 2009]

I have enjoyed tuning into The Soup and the first incarnation of it when it was referred to as Talk Soup. The show has seemed to really take a nap for the past year and a half. The host Joel who once was funny is now teetering on annoying. If you don't know the premise of the show, they take bits and pieces of everything from viral videos on the net to news shows on TV and they show them while the host introduces and comments on them and sometimes various crew members will do silly skits. The skits have become so dreadful that you actually cringe while they are on. The worst part about this is the show should write itself. I mean it is supposed to be the funniest or strangest parts from shows already done, yet they found a way to make it less funny. This has to be a combination of not searching for the best bits to show, the repetitiveness of the same tired jokes and the definite overexposure of the host Joel McHale who has used up his moment on screen and needs to give the reigns of the show over to a new host like other and better hosts in the past have graciously done.

The show stinks but not as much as the host!

[collegedude3 · 1/10 · 13 June 2012]

I was a huge fan of talk soup in the 90s when John Henson did the show. Henson was hilarious and was just a natural when it came to comedy. I stopped watching it when Henson left and they had other hosts take over. Hosts who tried too hard to be funny and obviously the show bombed.

Years later The Soup tried to emulate and capitalize on the success of Talk Soup with one host going over clips or skits from shows or talk shows. Of the years it has been on I only saw it maybe two or three times.

I immediately have trouble watching the show because I can't get past the host, Joe Mcalla or whatever his name is, unbelievable arrogant, narcissistic pompous demeanor. I can't stand anything about him. He always has a smirk on his face like he is the worlds funniest man. Ironically he is not funny at all. He has one of those faces that you just want to punch in. So for that reason mainly I cant watch the show. The few times I saw him the jokes are not funny at all and the punchlines fall flat. The "audience"s laughter is fake and on a laugh track.

So this host who came out of nowhere seems to be popping up on talk shows, hosting the Betty Award 90th birthday special and all other kinds of prestigious gigs. What a joke Hollywood is to have this no name tool host such events. He clearly must know someone high up on the corporate Hollywood ladder or is an insatiable brown noser.

Anyway enough about this the show stinks and the host is the biggest prick i have ever seen on cable.

Talk Soup's no good younger brother- This show is terrible!

[D_Burke · 1/10 · 9 December 2007]

How this show has stayed on for more than three years is beyond me. I don't know who these other members are who voted this show with eight or more stars. I respect their decisions, and believe they are entitled to their own opinion. However, I have yet to see one funny episode of this show. I have caught it on E! from time to time, but haven't been able to get through ten minutes of the show.

I was a fan of the original Talk Soup, at least when John Henson was hosting. I didn't have cable when Greg Kinnear was hosting the show, but I thought later hosts like Hal Sparks and Aisha Tyler did a good job as well. Unlike Joel McHale, the host they have now for this show, the hosts I just mentioned didn't try too hard to be funny. They just were funny naturally.

Joel McHale just comes off to me as the cocky high school jock who just trashes other people because he has nothing more intelligent to say. The audience laughter, which I frankly think is canned, pre-recorded laughter (although it may not be), appears to be added as almost too desperate an attempt to fish laughs out of its audience. This laughter is added almost as if to say, "This is funny, audience! Laugh! Now! Why aren't you laughing!?!" I remember John Henson not having an audience most of the time. He really didn't need one. Plus, unlike Joel McHale, Henson was great because he often poked fun at himself. McHale just comes off to me as aloof, presumptuous, and above all, not funny. Additionally, there's nothing McHale can say about Angelina Jolie or Paris Hilton that Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and Jon Stewart hasn't already said.

Again, I understand that comedy is very subjective, and I respect the opinions of everyone who likes this show. However, I hate it, I think it needs a major face-lift if it will be lucky enough to last two more years, and I'm sticking to my post.