Matt Rife is an award-winning stand-up comedian undergoing some heavy criticism following the launch of his Netflix special, Natural Selection. While viewers seem to have enjoyed it overall, many don’t find its content particularly amusing.
His jokes often pushed in an offensive direction, targeting vulnerable groups of people. Because of this, many critics strongly condemned his special.
What is Matt Rife?
Matt Rife has become a ubiquitous presence across social media in recent weeks. The comedian seems to have taken to the spotlight like never before, drawing criticism and backlash online in no time at all.
But who exactly is Rife, and why has everyone become obsessed with him? Rife is an award-winning standup comedian renowned for his Netflix special titled Natural Selection as well as an unprecedented tour called ProbleMATTic that began this fall.
Rife’s specials feature what is known as crowd work – portions of his standup routine where Rife interacts with his audience through extended improv exchanges – which has earned him massive fame on TikTok where clips of this crowd work often go viral.
How did he become a comedian?
Although Rife is only 23, he’s already been involved with showbiz for an extensive amount of time – performing in high school talent shows and later touring his own show around.
He has collaborated with other comedians and has appeared in movies like Room 236, Sophomore Year, Black Pumpkin, American Typecast, The Elevator Death Link and North of the 10.
Matt Rife, best known for his domestic violence joke that caused much debate when first told, has appeared on MTV shows and had small roles on popular TV series like Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His Netflix special Matt Rife: Natural Selection was one of the most watched comedy specials that year; its domestic violence joke caused controversy and raised serious concerns regarding comedy targeting vulnerable groups of people; Mizejewski stated her belief that Rife doesn’t comprehend why jokes that are offensive may cause discomfort among his audience members; rather than taking responsibility himself or offering amends when faced with backlash, Rife blames them instead for not laughing when challenged over something offensive said or written on-screen or offscreen;
What is his style of comedy?
Rife first launched his comedy career by self-funding and self-releasing his one-hour special on YouTube, taking risks with his material that have earned him Hollywood celebrity fans while selling out world-renowned theatres and comedy clubs worldwide.
He possesses an engaging stage presence, connecting emotionally with his audience. However, much of his material can be misogynistic and offensive towards female audiences; his jokes about menstruation cycles or sexually suggestive hobbies have caused great offence among them; in addition he has made remarks regarding domestic violence or segregation that have caused outrage among them.
While it isn’t his responsibility that women do not find his humor humorous, it is disappointing to witness him make jokes targeting vulnerable groups such as women and LGBT individuals. In his Bring the Funny special he makes an extended tirade about protection crystals while making masturbation-related comments; and uses Rosa Parks as an allegory for segregation and racism without actually touching on any real controversy with his jokes about segregation or racism.
What is his future plans?
Rife’s success can be attributed to his ability to reach a wide audience via TikTok and other social platforms, providing ample opportunity for him to test out his comedy on an enormous audience and fine-tune his craft. Rife also seeks out new challenges by taking on more challenging roles or working with experienced filmmakers.
His latest Netflix special, Natural Selection, has caused controversy online. Critics claim it contains unfunny jokes about women that could impact his future plans.
Matt Rife recently cancelled several shows on his ProbleMATTic tour due to exhaustion. He apologized to fans and stated that it is unlike him to cancel shows; additionally he promised ticketholders refunds when his tour resumes on June 12 in Memphis.