The Soup: Legitimately funny stuff presented in the worst way possible

It's not a laugh track. It's a small studio audience and the stage crew.

Quite the opposite. The audience is clearly composed entirely of staff, who yell out little in-jokes and such and keep the awesome "filmed in an extra E! conference room for thirty dollars"-vibe going.

Agreed in the "not canned laughter" contingency. It's clear from watching the show in non-clip form that it's all the crew laughing at things that they think are funny, including when Joel and guests mess up lines.
Also, that dog has the greatest look on his face ever.

Then they must have like 40 people in that room. I remember back when Greg Kinnear did it it seemed more believable - just two or three people busting a gut at whatever was going on.

It sounds like there are about a dozen people there. A few of them probably actually work on the production of the show, while others probably come in when they aren't doing anything else. I'd probably sit it on it if I worked there.

I don't really get all the Soup hate on poeTV, I think its funny most of the time, and Joel McHale is adorable. If you doubt this, look for the one where he dresses up as rainbow brite. It's on here somehwere.

the soup is still one of the more funny shows on tv, and I have nothing but love for mchale, but they definitely went to some kind of "enhanced laughter" in recent years

oh, but YOU DO! it's just in a different place. let him... let him touch it

Yes, the humor is so much better when it's blatantly shoved in your face. You do indeed rock, dr rock.

CUM STAINS!

COME STAIN ME WITH CUM STAINS, STAINS. COME. (STAINS)

I was thinking Alice Cooper.

Seconded. It improves on the original.