Matt Rife began his comedy career at 15 and has become a regular performer at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory ever since. His mentors include Dane Cook, Ralphie May, Finesse Mitchell and Mike Epps – among many others.
While he remains popular among straight women, he’s become a cultural target due to his insensitive comments regarding vulnerable groups. His Netflix special, Natural Selection, debuted in 2023 and quickly failed.
He has a deep insecurity
Matt Rife struggled for years to establish himself in comedy before TikTok came along and gave him mainstream success. His comedic ventures ranged from MTV variety shows and guest spots on sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine to self-produced stand-up specials and controversial remarks from himself or other comedians. But then TikTok emerged, sparking widespread popularity and propelling Rife forward into mainstream success.
His audience for his shows tends to consist mainly of women, which appears to bother him. He frequently mentions his looks during performances and viral crowdwork has attracted an abundance of women looking for an opportunity to flirt or be charmed by him.
Matt Rife discovered through comedy that early involvement taught him to overcome his difficulties and push through any insecurities that might hinder his success in life. Furthermore, it taught him the value of perseverance – his persistence eventually paid off, giving him a promising future ahead.
He is unafraid to offend people
Rife’s bold defiance of PC-pieties mirrors the thoughts of iconoclastic philosopher Slavoj Zizek, who asserted that allowing “space for the friendly exchange of obscenities” could help people be more honest and intimate with each other. Rife stands out among comedians afraid to offend anyone for her fearlessness in confronting others’ opinions head on.
Women propelled Matt Rife to fame on TikTok and they comprised most of his audience for his Netflix special, Natural Selection. So it was surprising when he opened his show with an outrage-inducing joke about domestic violence.
Women should know better than to pursue relationships with men who abuse them, and his use of the term “sex” to refer to a woman’s penis was indecent and offensive. Even if this was just meant as a joke for his audience, it threw off the whole atmosphere of the special and was unnecessarily offensive; other parts were relatively safe (even though he jokedly referred to fat people and those with Down syndrome as “lower classes”) However, that does not lessen his offensive remarks or contentious nature.
He has a primary audience of women
Rife became famous via viral videos posted from his stand-up gigs that went viral on TikTok and Instagram. These clips feature his distinctive brand of comedy known as “crowd work,” in which Rife interacts with audience members while making jokes that reflect topics suggested by them.
He has since come under criticism, especially among women, who find him offensive and insensitive. Natural Selection begins with jokes that reference domestic violence before featuring jokes that target specific demographics including women.
His jokes targeting women contribute to misogyny in comedy and contribute to a toxic masculinity culture, which allows men like Russell Brand and Louis C.K. to abuse their position within comedy. Rife has turned away from female fans that catapulted him to fame and they have expressed their disapproval by protesting during his special.
He is a fan of dark humor
Matt Rife had become an international TikTok celebrity with millions of followers and an ever-increasing base of female admirers since 2022 when an online clip featuring his crowd work went viral on TikTok. Additionally, Matt can be found making guest appearances on MTV Wild ‘n Out and sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off the Boat.
Rife made several insensitive jokes about women during his Netflix special Natural Selection. For instance, he told a story of a waitress being battered by her partner before suggesting that perhaps if she knew how to cook instead she wouldn’t need medical treatment for her black eye.
Dark humor can be entertaining, provided it is done correctly. Joking about sensitive topics such as domestic violence can be damaging and offensive; making such jokes could make those living through such experiences feel awkward and embarrassed.