After an outstanding 11 years on the air, hilarious clip show The Soup has just aired its final episode. In its penultimate moment, Joel McHale named the best clip of all time, before giving a heartfelt thank you to the audience that has supported the show for so long. Watch the hilarious and humble final few minutes below:
I’ve got to say, how much all of the cast and crew all seemed to love their job is palpable in this final goodbye. Joined by the mass of crew members who helped make The Soup possible, you saw could feel the camaraderie they all felt for each other. The finale moment ended in a Saturday Night Live moment, with the cast, crew, and celebrity guests giving shaking hands and embracing as the camera cut.
It’s also important to note how utterly ridiculous the clip of all time was. An insane moment from Bravo’s 2005 reality show Being Bobby Brown. The show, which depicted the clearly tragic and unhealthy marriage of the late Whitney Houston and her then-husband Bobby Brown. After having a semi-crazy debate about President George W. Bush, the scene cumulated in Whitney screaming “Kiss My Ass!” in a tone that can be assumed was fueled by some illicit material. When Being Bobby Brown aired its first and final season, The Soup was still in its infancy, and the clip of Whitney’s yell became an ongoing joke on the show for years to come.
The Soup has been a staple piece of programming on E! for over a decade. The show’s premise revolves around its host, Joel McHale, watching clips from popular reality television, talk shows, and news programs. With a razor sharp wit and sarcasm to spare, McHale would then essentially rip apart the clip. In a decade which contained more than enough reality television, this perspective was sorely needed in order to laugh at how insane television programming had become.
This was a career-making moment for comedian Joel McHale who would host The Soup throughout its 11 year run. McHale would later become a bonafide television star, starring in the ill-fated but massively adored Community on NBC and Yahoo. McHale has also reportedly been cast in the miniseries reboot of The X-Files, which will be airing on Fox on January 24th. While Joel McHale has gone from starring in two TV shows at once, to starring in none, the following he has grown in the long run of The Soup is sure to serve him well moving forward.
I, for one, am sad to see The Soup go. It truly trailblazed the comedy/clip show genre that would later be utilized in programs such as Tosh.0 and Ridiculousness. I’m hoping that Joel McHale’s new freedom in his schedule will allow him to grow his career, because that man has made me laugh more than most. Here’s hoping.
