Matt Rife hails from a small town outside Columbus, Ohio. At age 15, he began doing stand-up comedy. Since then, he has appeared on MTV Wild ‘N Out, as well as having his own YouTube channel and merchandise to showcase his talent.
Natural Selection has become an unprecedented Netflix success while simultaneously sparking some debate over its contentious aspects. Its regressive schtick has left audiences uncomfortable while raising important questions about whether comedians can still make audiences laugh while harming vulnerable groups of people.
He is a stand-up comedian
Matt Rife is a stand-up comedian who rose to fame through TikTok. Now, he performs at sold-out venues with an ever-increasing fan base thanks to his dedication and talent, including having an uncanny way of connecting with audiences that make him so well received.
His success has not come without controversy, however. His Netflix special, Natural Selection, has received widespread backlash. Many feel it’s neither funny nor inoffensive to women.
He has been widely accused of making insensitive jokes and comments about women’s bodies. He was a regular cast member on Wild ‘N Out and made guest appearances in various television series such as Room 236. Additionally, he is an American comedian with a large following on social media who is regularly invited as a guest on various podcasts as well as writing for various television series.
He is an actor
Matt Rife is a comedian who rose to prominence online before selling out venues worldwide. His first Netflix special, Matt Rife: Natural Selection was an international success and recently recorded his second special: Matthew Steven Rife – named so in honor of his grandfather who helped nurture and shape his comedy career.
Ohio native and 28-year-old TikTok video star Tyler Alvear made headlines after videos of his sets and audience interactions became viral on TikTok, quickly garnering him an extensive, mostly female fan base with his charming stage presence and flirtatious performance style. Since then, he has even appeared on MTV shows such as True Life as well as in sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine!
He is now facing backlash after an anti-domestic violence joke posted to TikTok went viral and was widely seen as misogynistic and ableist, offending many students at Indiana University (IU) as well. One student, Sasha Ramos who belongs to Women’s Night Comedy group at IU demanded Rife apologize for his statements.
He has a YouTube channel
Matt Rife has long been an internet phenomenon on TikTok and YouTube, but only recently did his fame make waves within mainstream comedy circles. His debut Netflix special Natural Selection debuted at number 10 among most-viewed specials but has drawn widespread criticism as well as praise.
The special explores whether comedy can still be humorous when targeting vulnerable groups, including an offensive joke targeting women with large clitorises and a long riff stolen almost verbatim from Ralphie May. Some jokes within this special are shockingly offensive to vulnerable populations; such as an offensive joke regarding large clitorises.
Rife justifies his provocative material by insisting that everyone should have the freedom to speak their mind – an approach similar to Dave Chappelle who famously insisted there was “no line you couldn’t cross as long as it was funny.”
He has a branded merchandise
Rife’s live events generate significant revenues; in addition, his branded merchandise business generates additional income. Furthermore, Rife often hosts corporate events for which fees can command high amounts and help build his net worth.
Before TikTok, Rife struggled to establish himself as a comedian, often jumping between guest spots on MTV variety shows and small parts in popular sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Thanks to the immense popularity of his YouTube videos and predominantly female fan base, Netflix was convinced to offer Rife his first special in 2023.
Rife has since released three more comedy specials on YouTube that have earned tens of millions of views, as well as his Netflix special, Natural Selection, which premiered November 15 and quickly entered the top 10.
The controversy surrounding his merchandise stemmed from a joke in which he described a restaurant hostess with a black eye as misogynistic and was met with backlash from women especially. Due to this unfortunate event, two shows had to be cancelled but he has promised his fans that this issue will be rectified in due course.