Matt Rife has quickly emerged as one of the leading lights of comedy. A regular at The Laugh Factory (and youngest male ever to do so!), Matt has worked alongside such famed comics as Dane Cook, Ralphie May, Erik Griffin and Mike Epps among many others.
Natural Selection has quickly made its mark among Netflix subscribers since debuting last September, but isn’t without controversy as it begins with a joke about domestic abuse.
He’s the “Justin Bieber of Comedy”
Matt Rife, an Ohio comedian at 28 years old has recently gone viral on social media with his viral comedy clips on TikTok and other platforms. His videos have amassed millions of views since last year.
He followed up his debut special Only Fans in 2023 with Natural Selection on Netflix; an hour-plus special designed to capitalize on his enormous TikTok fan base that was both critical and commercial success.
However, his opening joke of the show landed him in hot water. It featured a highly offensive extended segment about children with intellectual disabilities, with nearly word-for-word similarities to Ralphie May’s now infamous joke about “gay” monsters hiding out in closets.
Rotten Tomatoes users generally gave this standup special one-star reviews, which is typical for such shows. Comedians generally need at least a year to write enough material for an hour-long standup special.
He’s a TikTok Star
Rife, one of the TikTok’s leading comedians, has often faced social media backlash for his use of protection crystals and telling a 6-year-old that Santa doesn’t exist. His childish reaction to Hedaya’s video only compounded matters; thus she responded accordingly.
Rife’s jokes may not always resonate well with audiences, yet he remains a regular at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory (he was the youngest male comedian ever to do so) as well as touring throughout the country. Stand-up veterans Dane Cook, Ralphie May, Erik Griffin and Mike Epps count him among their close circle.
Rife remains undaunted by criticism; instead he describes Netflix’s work as being “validating”. Additionally, Rife hopes that his new special will disprove misconceptions about him; some believe he has only female fans; however this is simply untrue; his goal with Natural Selection is to broaden his audience.
He’s a Social Media Star
Matt Rife was a stand-up comic who performed at smaller clubs for over a decade until TikTok went viral and his popularity skyrocketed, giving him millions of followers and opening doors to other careers such as entertainment where he collaborated with some well-known comedians.
He recently found himself the target of widespread backlash over his Netflix special that includes jokes about domestic violence and women with large clitorises. Compounding matters further was an Instagram post from him wherein he targeted those offended by his humor with insults against those offended by it.
The episode seemed like an act of betrayal toward his female fans who had catapulted him to fame and success, according to many social media users. Many noted it as “toxic masculinity”, an alarming trend which underlines how platforms such as TikTok promote comedy as breeding grounds for regressive humor.
He’s a Human Rights Activist
After becoming a TikTok star and debuting his own Netflix special, Matt Rife has experienced significant backlash. Many critics have taken issue with jokes in his show which make light of domestic violence or abuse; most notably when he described an employee at a restaurant who received a black eye from someone not knowing how to cook properly as having received such injuries due to Matt Rife’s comedy routines.
The joke brings up an overarching issue of misogyny in comedy, perpetuated by comedians such as Russell Brand and Louis C.K. To laugh at women is neither funny nor acceptable; such behavior needs to stop immediately.
Rife has come under scrutiny for other jokes he made about people with disabilities, prompting lifestyle influencer Bunny Hedaya to post a video of her six-year-old son reacting after one such joke from Rife. Bunny explained to Rife that people with disabilities aren’t his punchline and told him not to use her son as bait in order to gain attention for his show.