Rife is a well-known TikTok comedian with sold out shows at large venues. His new special, Natural Selection, delves deep into dark comedy with jokes about trolls, women, and protective crystals.
Variety reported that he is unafraid to offend audiences with his humor. At the start of his show he tells a tale about a Baltimore waitress with a black eye who should have known how to cook so as not to receive one; his joke reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.
He is a fan of dark comedy
Matt Rife has earned fame as an offending comedian thanks to TikTok and Netflix comedy specials, where his humor attracted large audiences. Born and raised in Ohio, Rife does not shy away from dark humor that may cause offense to some individuals and is unafraid of offending anyone; according to an interview with Variety he stated he does not subscribe to “sensitivity rumor,” that there are certain topics off limits when making jokes.
He mentioned in the interview that many of his fans are women who find him attractive, and noted that many find his comedy more appropriate for male audiences than female audiences. Linda Mizejewski of Ohio State’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies notes this may reflect larger societal constructs about gender roles among both sexes – specifically that Rife needs to appeal more strongly to men and boys in order to succeed as an entertainer.
He is a fan of TikTok
Matt Rife is an award-winning comedian who has leveraged TikTok to build an audience. By sidestepping Hollywood gatekeepers and self-producing his comedy specials – with one receiving millions of views alone! – Matt has found immense success performing live at venues including Hollywood Bowl.
Early this year, a comedian made headlines for comments regarding domestic abuse. Since then, he has apologized and plans to avoid jokes that might offend victims in future performances.
Hayden Moncada, professor of women’s and gender studies at Ohio State University has stressed the importance of being mindful about jokes that fall under dark comedy’s umbrella. According to him, humor that includes darker topics can be effective when used appropriately; however, when used inappropriately it can cause harm. Unfortunately for Rife this controversy cost him some fans; nevertheless he will find his audience on TikTok as well as perhaps landing Netflix comedy special in near future.
He is a fan of women
Ohio native Matt Rife has quickly risen to prominence through viral comedy clips, his immense fanbase on TikTok, and a captivating stage presence. He became the youngest comedian ever to sell out the Hollywood Bowl and recently released his Netflix special Natural Selection.
But Rife has not been without controversy; his jokes have often been denounced by online communities and numerous users have called for boycotts against his shows, with some even trying to restrict or even ban certain of his content.
His success may be attributable to his beauty, with straight women flocking to his shows just for a chance to interact with him. TikTok moments featuring crowd work on “red flags,” often providing tongue-in-cheek relationship advice, are popular. When interviewed by Variety he acknowledged his female fan base but stated his intention of changing that dynamic.
He is a fan of trolls
Rife has no fear of offending people, boasting in a recent Variety interview that “nothing is off-limits for humor.” Furthermore, Rife asserts that many of his critics voted for Donald Trump and believe women with large thighs should undergo plastic surgery procedures.
He recently opened his Netflix special, Natural Selection, with an offensive joke directed against domestic violence victims that received mixed responses of anger and confusion from audiences.
While his new special earned him an enormous audience, critics argue he doesn’t deserve it. His comedy is subpar at best and much of his popularity appears to be driven by TikTok hype and female followership.
Ohio comedian Jonathan Bennett has made waves across social media over the last year with viral comedy clips shared to his 6.4 million Instagram and 18.2 million TikTok followers. Bennett self-produced series of comedy specials before making appearances on Wild ‘n Out and Brooklyn Nine-Nine TV shows.