Matt Rife, a 28-year-old stand-up comedian and TikTok sensation, has recently gained notoriety for his new Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” which quickly climbed to the second spot on Netflix’s global top 10 list for TV shows, garnering 7.4 million views in its first week. However, the special has sparked controversy due to its content.
Since its release, “Natural Selection” has been criticized for jokes that appear to trivialize domestic violence and abuse. This reaction has been exacerbated by Rife’s approach to addressing the controversy, which some have found problematic.
Rife’s rise to fame began in the social media realm, where he amassed significant followings on TikTok and Instagram. Before his Netflix success, he self-produced several comedy specials like “Matt Rife: Only Fans,” “Matthew Steven Rife,” and “Walking Red Flag,” which were released on YouTube. His appearances on MTV’s “Wild ’n Out” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” also contributed to his growing popularity.
In an interview with Variety earlier this month, Rife expressed gratitude for his fan base’s growth and the validation he felt from self-producing his specials. He described the opportunity to work with Netflix as a warm and inviting experience, fulfilling a career-long aspiration to be recognized by a network.
One segment of “Natural Selection,” filmed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., involves a joke about a hostess with a black eye in a Baltimore restaurant. Rife’s narration of the incident and his remarks, which included suggesting that the hostess’s injury was the result of domestic violence, have been the focus of the controversy.
Following the release of his special, Rife faced criticism on social media platforms, especially from users who disapproved of his jokes about domestic violence. Despite this, Rife acknowledged that while he aims for his comedy to appeal to everyone, “Natural Selection” might resonate more with male audiences, despite his predominantly female TikTok following.
Rife’s response to the criticism has been controversial. In an Instagram Story, he posted a link purporting to be an official apology, which instead directed users to a medical website offering helmets for people with special needs. Later, he posted another link, supposedly genuine this time, that redirected to a comedy clip on his YouTube page.
As of now, Rife has not made any further comments regarding the jokes in his special or the backlash they have received. Yahoo Entertainment reached out to Netflix and Rife’s representatives for comments but had not received any responses at the time of publication.
