Matt Rife is a stand-up comedian who became well-known after an instance of his crowd work went viral on TikTok. Additionally, he appeared as a cast member on season seven of MTV2’s Wild ‘N Out.
Netflix debuted their inaugural special, Natural Selection, in November 2023. This comedy show makes light of domestic violence while reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes.
He is a comedian
Matt Rife is an internationally acclaimed comedian with a massive online following, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, where his clips from stand-up gigs have gone viral and amassed over two million followers each. Additionally, he performed in Bring the Funny, appeared on MTV shows such as Total Request Live’s reboot as well as being part of Wild n Out’s cast – all while maintaining an active personal life and having two successful marriages of his own.
Rife’s new special, Natural Selection, has come under scrutiny for its offensive humor regarding gender and sexuality. One scene from which Rife joked about having an “oversized clitoris” has been watched over 10 million times on YouTube alone.
Drew Afualo, a social media influencer known for her responses to misogynist men online, commented on Rife’s Netflix special with its jokes in a TikTok video. While not shocked by them, Afualo expressed disappointment that the comedian pandered more to male audiences instead of meeting his female fans who gave him prominence. She felt this was betraying women who helped propel Rife to fame.
He is a TikTok star
Matt Rife is an internationally recognized comedian who rose to fame through TikTok. Born in Columbus, Ohio and starting performing stand up comedy at age 15, Matt has shared the stage with some of America’s most celebrated comics including DL Hughley, Ralphie May, Dane Cook and Tommy Davidson – as well as appearing as guest star on MTV Wild n Out and NBC Bring the Funny.
His Netflix special was both critical and commercial success, drawing an audience that predominantly consisted of women. Unfortunately, however, his special caused controversy among some fans by opening with an anti-domestic violence joke – betraying a demographic which had made him famous in the first place.
This incident caused him considerable backlash, prompting him to issue an apology to his audience and later tweet that the comment had been “insensitive and hurtful.” Yet his apology did not stop the outrage against him, prompting questions as to the extent that comedian is willing to compromise his beliefs in exchange for popularity.
He is a writer
Matt Rife is one of many Gen Z comedians to come from viral content and media hype to become overnight sensations. His Netflix special Natural Selection has remained in the top 10 for two weeks but also generated controversy due to one joke being about domestic violence, drawing instant backlash.
“Matt Riffe became widely popular through his appeal to women; therefore many fans were dismayed to hear about his joke about domestic violence in his Netflix special,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
Rife first made his mark as a regular cast member on MTV’s sketch comedy and improv show Wild ‘N Out. Since then he has gone on to appear in guest roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Brandon Bliss and Fresh Off the Boat respectively, as well as headlining the ProbleMATTic World Tour through December at Louisville Palace as part of this worldwide comedy trek.
He is a producer
Before Matt Rife became an internet phenomenon on TikTok, he was an up-and-coming comedian struggling to make it big in comedy. He hopped around between MTV variety shows and small guest roles on sitcoms; until 2022 when he posted clips of his crowd work (where comedian interacts with audience members in extended improv exchanges) onto TikTok; these quickly went viral and made him an overnight comedy superstar.
Rife’s Netflix special, Natural Selection, has been well received by viewers but also has drawn sharp criticism for including jokes at the expense of women. His inappropriate opening joke mocking a restaurant hostess with an obvious black eye led to widespread outrage on social media against Rife as a comedian.
Rife’s comedy has drawn significant scrutiny; nonetheless, his shows continue to sell out across the country, including five sold out performances at Mohegan Sun. Furthermore, Rife is currently promoting a book titled ProbleMATTic which can be purchased here.