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Matt Rife

Matt Rife earned his inaugural Netflix comedy special after several TikTok videos went viral, earning his spot as the new host of Natural Selection on November 15 and sparking controversy over its opening joke about domestic violence. Drew Afualo – an active advocate against misogyny in comedy – responded strongly when Matt Rife chose an opening joke related to domestic abuse for his show.

1. He’s the Justin Bieber of Comedy

Matt Rife found his calling after years of performing on random MTV variety shows and small guest spots on sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. From Ohio, Rife found fame through TikTok with an avid following; his flirtatious stage presence and predominantly female audience demographic made an impression upon Netflix who later asked him to record a comedy special special last year.

Natural Selection was his opening act and featured a controversial joke about domestic abuse; the comment earned him some criticism but his supporters rallied to his support.

Social media users quickly criticized the comedian for his progressive views, with one influencer posting video footage showing her criticizing him to her 6-year-old son on TikTok. She dubbed him the Justin Bieber of Comedy with good reason.

2. He’s a millennial

Matt Rife, 28 years old and born between 1980 and 2000 is one of the many millennials that has found immense fame on TikTok since coming into prominence with his viral comedy video called Natural Selection on Netflix.

This special debuted in the top 10 on November 15 and has remained there for two weeks, though not without controversy: its introduction contains an offhand reference to domestic violence.

Many viewers were offended by Rife’s joke and some even called for a boycott of his comedy. Others, such as Indiana University junior Sasha Ramos who is part of the women’s comedy group on campus, saw Rife’s humor as reflecting “sexist views and attitudes among millennial males.”

3. He’s a white guy

As Rife failed to bring comedy that resonated with his large Netflix audience, his jokes became dull and uninspiring – reminding audiences of an early Dane Cook.

Ohio native Jonathan Harris shot to prominence in 2022 after a clip of his crowd work (parts of standup routine in which comedian interacts with audience members through extended improv exchanges) went viral on TikTok.

He gained increased attention after appearing on MTV variety shows and playing small roles on sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Later that year he launched a career as a standup comedian, debuting his first special, Natural Selection, featuring women only material. It received positive reception among its mostly female fan base, although its opening joke regarding domestic violence caused some outrage among viewers.

4. He’s a gay man

Matt Rife has garnered a strong fan base on TikTok through his viral comedy clips. Recently, he released his inaugural Netflix special Natural Selection, wherein he tells stories and participates in crowd work with members of his audience.

One of his more contentious jokes in the special involves domestic violence. He tells a tale about being at what he calls “ratchet” restaurant in Baltimore and seeing a waitress with a black eye.

The video has been watched over 12 million times on social media, yet has also caused outrage by making fun of women who are interested in astrology. Influencer Bunny Hedaya posted a TikTok of her six-year-old son reacting to this joke; which has since been watched more than 1 million times.

5. He’s a male

Rife’s jokes in Natural Selection may appear to target groups of vulnerable individuals, yet his support remains strong. Numerous TikTokers shared their sentiments on this special’s comments page – among them was Indiana University junior Sasha Ramos of Ladies Night Comedy who shared her opinions as part of her comments section postings.

One factor may have been his striking looks; many of Rife’s viral TikTok moments feature him engaging with women in his audience and offering humorous relationship advice. These segments became so popular that Rife even released an entirely crowd work-themed 2023 self-produced special.