Matt Rife first gained popularity as a comedian through TikTok and is now making waves with mainstream audiences through Netflix’s Natural Selection special, released Nov 15th but which immediately caused controversy when its opening joke addressed domestic violence.
Columbus-native Kyle Moore kicked off his comedy career at age 15 by performing at an open mic night of Funny Bone Comedy Club. Later he competed on NBC’s Bring the Funny competition where he reached semifinals.
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio
Matthew Steven Rife was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. His family provided him with strength and resilience as they supported and guided his comic career – particularly three older stepsisters and one younger half-sister; furthermore his mother and grandmother played pivotal roles in helping launch his early comedic career.
Matt Rife boasts an enormous social media following and consistently sells out enormous venues worldwide. He made waves on NBC’s Bring the Funny show and produced self-produced specials that have garnered him worldwide popularity. Additionally, Matt can be found performing sketch comedy/rap comedy show Wild n Out.
Rife may be well known, yet still has much to learn about the industry. His humor often offends those around him and has even led to some major scandals in the past.
Started performing stand-up at the age of 15
Matt Rife began performing stand-up at 15 – an extraordinary accomplishment for someone of such young age. Through hard work and natural talent, Matt soon became a regular performer at the World Famous Laugh Factory; sharing stages with such comic luminaries as Dane Cook, Ralphie May, Finesse Mitchell Mike Epps and Deray Davis.
Matt has found success via TikTok and social media platforms where he posts hilarious videos. These platforms have enabled him to reach new demographics that were previously unexplored by comedians his age.
On his ProbleMATTic World Tour, you can catch him live! Tickets are available from various ticket sellers – Undercover Tourist offers 100% buyer protection with great show discounts!
Started self-producing his own specials
Rife’s success since his rise to fame can be measured in several specials he’s produced and shows sold-out everywhere he goes; currently on his ProbleMATTic world tour that has sold-out venues on both coasts!
The show showcases some of his signature crowd work, such as mocking audience members and labeling them trolls. His comedy draws heavily upon personal experiences and observations – making his humor more accessible to mainstream audiences and making him ideal for streaming platforms like Netflix.
He has an exceptional ability to engage his audience and make them feel relaxed during an awkward situation, thanks to his quick wit and ability to read the room – two hallmarks of success in any comedy club setting.
Netflix landed him in 2023
Matt Rife rose to fame through TikTok videos and had amassed an extensive female following for them. However, in his Netflix special Natural Selection he made insensitive jokes about domestic violence which caused widespread outrage online.
Rife’s joke generated online backlash and was considered offensive and misogynistic. To try to lessen this reaction, on November 20, Rife posted a video to his Instagram story to direct those offended by his jokes to a link that led to a website selling helmets for children with special needs.
Since then, he has cancelled his shows at Indiana University Auditorium and issued an apology to fans who made long journeys for the event but ended up feeling disgruntled when their expectations weren’t fulfilled. Some fans had made long drives only to be disappointed upon arriving.
Controversies
Matt Rife has recently been at the center of controversy, having made his mark as a comedian on Tik Tok with his flirtatious stage presence and large female following. He’s known for using crowd work – whereby he engages his audience members while cracking jokes that make fun of their audience members – which allows him to make jokes that resonate deeply with an audience member and makes jokes specifically targeted towards them.
Rife caused an uproar with comments he made in his November 15 Netflix special, Natural Selection. One such joke involved being in an “evil” Baltimore restaurant when he noticed that one of its hostesses had an extensive black eye injury.
Mizejewski believes Rife’s jokes to be offensive to women who are victims of domestic violence, while his refusal to accept criticism reveals an arrogant white male mentality unafraid of introspection and reflection.