Matt Rife is a comedian best known for his viral comedy clips on TikTok and has since performed in multiple specials including NBC’s Bring the Funny.
His latest Netflix special, Natural Selection, generated wide criticism due to a joke which addressed domestic violence.
He is a stand-up comedian
Ohioan, 28-year-old Ohio native Matty Boyles quickly rose to fame on TikTok thanks to his crowd interaction videos and has amassed an adoring following, predominantly female. Since then he has made rounds on MTV variety shows as well as landing guest roles on sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
But when he opened his Netflix special Natural Selection with jokes that addressed domestic violence and misogynistic comments, many were taken aback. Since then, he has revealed his intention was to change his image in order to broaden appeal among men.
He stated he’s unafraid of offending anyone and is fond of dark humor; yet, due to media frenzy surrounding his special’s release, he postponed several sets in Indiana and will reschedule them later this month at Chicago Theatre and Tennessee Ryman Auditorium respectively.
He is a boxer
Matt Rife hails from Ohio and has been performing professionally since he was a teenager. His diverse career spans sketch comedy and improv game shows, small featured roles on sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as running his own paranormal investigator channel on YouTube; Rife will soon launch his first stand-up special.
Rife’s beauty has long been celebrated. His stunning face can brighten any room, with an irresistibly charming smile like that of Faberge eggs. TikTok users and female followers alike have taken notice of Rife, making him a hit and leading to his strong following on this social network.
A 28-year-old comedian rose to viral fame after a clip from his stand-up special went viral on TikTok in 2022. Since then, he has self-financed and released three specials himself, Only Fans in 2021, Matthew Steven Rife in 2023 and Walking Red Flag later that year. Most recently he signed a deal with Netflix to produce workplace comedy.
He is a singer
Rife is best known for his guest appearances on Wild ‘n Out and as Logan in Fresh Off The Boat. Additionally, he appeared in two comedy specials, Walking Red Flag and Natural Selection respectively; as well as currently touring his ProbleMATTic World Tour and filming his second special which can now be found on Netflix.
His Netflix special, which premiered in November, caused outrage after containing an offensive joke about domestic violence that many saw as insensitive. Subsequently he came under fire for seemingly pandering to male viewers while seeming dismissive of women fans in general.
Aja Romano is a Vox culture reporter who specializes in fandom, media and ethics coverage. Formerly employed at Daily Dot as staff writer, Aja is recognized as an authority on culture wars issues; her writing has appeared in New York Times, Washington Post and Slate among others. Additionally she was honored as 2019 Fellow by National Critics Institute.
He is a writer
Before his viral TikTok fame, Ohio native Matt Rife would occasionally pop up on MTV variety shows or guest appear in sitcoms such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine as an occasional guest star. Known for his charming stage presence – particularly among female audiences – Matt garnered many devoted female followers due to these appearances and guest spots.
Natural Selection was his inaugural Netflix special that failed spectacularly and quickly prompted an open discussion on whether comedy can ever truly be funny when targeting vulnerable groups such as domestic violence and race/identity/disability/sexuality issues. It opens with jokes targeting domestic violence before continuing with such offensive material as domestic abuse jokes.
Sasha Ramos, who is part of Indiana University’s women’s comedy group, criticized the special for its misogynistic jokes and pandering to frat bros. According to Ramos, any time you cater to men by making jokes about domestic violence then that’s how you know that comedy shouldn’t be your profession – which the special is currently sitting at only 16 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.