Before "trending" and "live-tweeting" were a thing, E!'s The Soup was the ultimate guide to the most awesome and ridiculous occurrences from the week in TV and pop culture. The Joel McHale-hosted recap show itself launched memes back in the aughts, no hashtags needed. Now, it's time to say goodbye to the series and I think it's time to examine the most important clips The Soup introduced us to, because pop culture wouldn't have been the same without them. The Soup airs its final episode on Friday night after 12 years of skewering celebrities, telenovelas, Today's Willard Scott, The Hills, the Kardashians, and so much more.
Before he starred on NBC and Yahoo!'s Community, McHale took over hosting The Soup in 2004, when he relaunched it as a series where he mocked the week in pop culture. Previously, the show had been known as Talk Soup under hosts Aisha Tyler, Hal Sparks, and Greg Kinnear. McHale won the Best Host trophy for his work on the show at the 2015 Adweek Watch Awards and The Soup was nominated for an Emmy last year. But more impressive is the mark that The Soup has left on viewers' meme and viral video-loving hearts. Without The Soup, the words Spaghetti Cat, Chicken Tetrazzini, and Cupcake Dog would mean nothing.
And if they don't meaning anything to you, for shame! Let's remedy that right now. Check out the best and most important clips The Soup introduced us to — and I'm forever thankful.
1. "Spaghetti Cat"
Back in 2008, McHale told the audience about a weird and mysterious happening on The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet: During a segment about the dangerous of drinking, randomly the show cut to a photo of a cat eating spaghetti. For no reason at all. It's amazing. McHale even sold T-shirts with the cat on it and sold it at his standup shows — I bought one back in 2010 and he signed it.
2. "Chicken Tetrazzini"
Maury has given viewers many gifts over the years, but The Soup introduced us to this incredible clip in 2009 in which a woman suspects her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, who apparently makes seductive chicken tetrazzini. If you didn't know that the dish existed before this clip, you certainly did after it went viral.
3. Nathaniel's Dance On Yo Gabba Gabba
His name is Nathaniel and, boy, does he like to dance! As McHale said in this clip from 2007, perhaps the young boy had too many juice boxes before doing the dance that launched hundreds of remixes on YouTube.
4. Birdemic: Shock & Terror
Before Sharknado came into our lives, McHale loved to mock Birdemic, a 2008 low-budget disaster movie about birds and also happens to contain one of the weirdest boardroom scenes of all time.
5. "No Cherrio Dog"
In 2013, McHale called tweeted that this is "the greatest clip we've ever shown. It's a dog eating a Cheerio." Just watch and embrace the No Cherrio Dog's unforgettable expression.
6. Man Child On Wife Swap
Remember Wife Swap? McHale highlighted this clip in which one of the husbands pretty much throws a temper tantrum about not wanting to throw out his action figures, hovercraft, and the internet being down.
7. The Madrastra
McHale had a soft spot for this super melodramatic telenovela. Enjoy the above compilation of clips featured on The Soup.
8. Cupcake Dog
The Soup made sure we were aware of this clip from Animal Planet's It's Me Or The Dog, during which one dog is absolutely mesmerized when he sees cupcakes. I mean, who isn't? The clip went viral after it was shown.
9. The Hills' Heidi & Spencer Get Married
One of my favorite things over the years was McHale's skewering of The Hills, Spencer Pratt's (as McHale called it) "creepy flesh-colored beard," and Audrina Patridge. In the above clip, McHale inserts himself into a post-nuptial interview with the Pratts.
Most of all, I'll miss McHale's biting pop culture commentary. Thanks for everything, The Soup.
Image: Timothy White/E!
