- Comedian Matt Rife is almost an overnight sensation
- His recent Netflix special has had its fair share of critics
- THIS is the joke that Matt has had to defend
It's not that a comedian can explode the way Matt Rife has. It's probably to do with his good looks that made him stand out on TikTok. But although he is known for tickling the funny bones of his TikTok followers, Rife's leap to Netflix has been anything but smooth sailing.
Matt rubbed some people the wrong way
The special opens with a bang: a joke about domestic violence that's caused more than a few ripples. Picture this: Rife's in a "ratchet" Baltimore eatery, spots a waitress with a black eye, and quips, "Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye." Talk about testing the waters!
The crowd's reaction? He was just warming up, folks! "If we start the show with domestic violence," Rife chuckles, "the rest of the show should be smooth sailing." But smooth it was not. The social media seas turned choppy as viewers voiced their outrage.
And it's no surprise in a time where comedians are not allowed to step into dangerous territory. A good chunk of those who took in the special have taken to social media to respond to that opening choice to make a joke about domestic violence and they are definitely not laughing ... at the initial joke or his ableist response.
In true controversial fashion, Rife's "apology" on Instagram was anything but. Click the link expecting a mea culpa? Surprise! You're shopping for special needs helmets. A jab at those offended, and a move that's added more kindling to the controversy bonfire. "If you've ever been offended by a joke I've told," he captioned an image of himself on the stage, "here's a link to my official apology."
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The fans can turn...
Mixed reactions
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Scandal alert
There's been no further comment from his camp. Meanwhile, Rife's defended his special, claiming it's for everyone – not just the ladies who love his TikTok fame. "It's 50/50," he insists, aiming to prove he's not just a pretty face with a female fanbase. "I started working out way after I was doing stand-up," he once told 'Men's Health' magazine.
"I’ve been doing stand-up for a little over 12 years now. I will say I don't think it helps you by any means — people don’t want to laugh at physically attractive people, you don’t want to walk on stage and have people looking at your arms rather than listening to your jokes."
Despite the uproar, 'Natural Selection' is out there for your streaming pleasure (or displeasure). Will you give it a chance, or is this comedy special a hard pass? The jury's out, but Matt Rife's not pandering to the crowd. He's here to make waves, and that he has!
