Matt Rife has an undying love of animals and is an established comedian who has built his career through social media and television appearances. In November 2023, Netflix released his special entitled Natural Selection as his latest work of comedy.
The opening joke in the special was an offensive domestic abuse joke, prompting many viewers to speak up in defense. This caused considerable uproar.
He’s a comedian
Matt Rife has quickly established himself as one of comedy’s rising stars, yet his debut Netflix special Natural Selection has drawn considerable backlash. Rife joked about domestic violence in his debut special and received considerable negative response – however he defends his decision by noting he “likes dark humor”.
Rife garnered his audience on TikTok by appealing to women, many of whom find him attractive. This has resulted in debate about his looks as well as questions regarding any possible plastic surgery procedures he might have had done.
Rife has quickly established himself on the comedy circuit and his new special has earned him a spot among Netflix’s Top 10. Additionally, he is developing a workplace sitcom for them and has already filmed two additional specials for them. Rife was set to perform at Chicago Theatre from Thursday through Sunday as well as Tennessee’s Ryman Auditorium in June; however due to an unknown illness these performances have been postponed.
He’s a social media star
Matt Rife, born and raised in Ohio and born into a performing family, first began performing professionally as an entertainer at age 15. Since then he has performed alongside some of the biggest names in comedy including regular performances at World Famous Laugh Factory as well as multiple guest spots on MTV Total Request Live as well as his own YouTube channel called Overnight; additionally he appears as himself on popular sitcom television series Brooklyn Nine-Nine as one of its characters.
Rife’s insensitive joke regarding domestic violence during his debut Netflix special has caused outrage from TikTok users and others online, prompting an apology and commitment not to repeat it again.
Due to illness, Rife’s performances at Chicago Theatre (Illinois) from Thursday through Sunday and Ryman Auditorium in Tennessee from June 6-9 have been postponed, according to an email sent out to ticket holders.
He’s a viral video star
Matt Rife quickly made waves online as he rose to social media stardom. Recognized for his quick wit and sharp humor, his standup comedy performances as well as appearances on various television shows and performing at world-class theatres have garnered much acclaim; additionally his self-produced Netflix special Natural Selection became one of 2017’s most viewed comedy specials.
His jokes have sometimes caused controversy; one particular incident included him making an offensive joke about domestic violence in his Netflix special which caused a great deal of outrage among women and LGBTQ community members.
Many are questioning whether offensive comedy can still be entertaining, while its lack of audience interaction makes it feel stagnant and dull compared to his TikTok videos that featured crowd work and flirtatious interactions with them – the latter of which propelled his success on this platform.
He’s a pop idol
Last year, 28-year-old Ohio native Ryan Meeks made headlines online after a clip from one of his standup shows went viral on TikTok. His unique blend of roast comedy, observational humor and improvisation quickly caught on; currently touring his “ProbleMATTic World Tour,” Meeks has made multiple stops throughout Florida this year.
His meteoric rise to fame began with appearances on Wild N Out and Bring the Funny, quickly followed by amassed followers on TikTok where he posts daily sketches and behind-the-scenes content. Additionally, he maintains an Instagram account to share daily life updates as well as funny clips with his fans.
His most recent controversy stems from a joke made in the Netflix special Natural Selection about domestic violence that attempted to appeal to men but ended up falling flat with critics, who accused him of engaging in sexist comedy. Influencer Bunny Hedaya responded to Rife’s joke with her own six-year-old son’s stitched response on Instagram, asserting that it is offensive and insulting towards women.