Matt Rife is now in hot waters due to his Netflix stand-up special Natural Selection, which turns controversial after starting with a domestic violence joke. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with many, leaving him criticized for his poor choice of topic, making fun of a serious situation, and even admitting to intentionally doing it. So, what is this show about, and why does it instantly spark a controversy? Read on.
Matt Rife’s Netflix Comedy Special, Natural Selection
Matt Rife promised not to leave any stone unturned in his comedy special, Natural Selection. He wouldn’t be afraid to tackle anything in this show—whether it’s about yoga, social media, trolls, boyfriend, astrology, cities in the U.S., and more. And true to his words, the 28-year-old was bold enough to tackle a sensitive topic.
After his online success, becoming the most-watched comedian on TikTok and gathering a whopping 30 million views on his YouTube specials, Rife announced his ProbleMATTic World Tour. Tickets were sold out in two days, and many missed the queue.
🚨NETFLIX SPECIAL🚨
NOW STREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Matt Rife: NATURAL SELECTION pic.twitter.com/gp8cubSX69
— Matt Rife (@mattrife) November 15, 2023
Thankfully, the show was taped and is now streaming on Netflix. “We’re doin’ Netflix, baby!” Rife even announced in the first few minutes of his hour-long special.
The Controversial Joke That Made Matt Rife: Natural Selection Controversial
Matt Rife opened his Natural Selection, his first special for Netflix, with a domestic violence joke set at a restaurant in Baltimore. He called this place “ratchet” and claimed the hostess had a black eye.
As his friend wondered why this woman wasn’t kept in the kitchen to not be seen by the customers, the comedian said, “But I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
When the audience laughed, Rife revealed he was “testing the waters” to see if they would be “fun or not.”
Matt Rife: my special is for guys…
Immediately opens up with a domestic violence joke. pic.twitter.com/IyG0v4AfK5
— AskAubry 🦝 (@ask_aubry) November 20, 2023
“I figure if we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be smooth sailing,” he said.
In an interview with Variety, Rife stressed that Natural Selection would be for men despite the claims that his fan base was initially women due to his TikTok fame. He then revealed that his fans were a 50/50 split, as proved by his shows, graced by couples and groups of men.
“And that’s one thing that I wanted to tackle in this special was showing people that despite what you think about me online, I don’t pander my career to women,” he explained. “I would argue this special is way more for guys.”
He continued that he wanted to make his special suitable for everyone, taking pride in himself making his comedy for everybody and not for a specific demographic.
I watched that Matt Rife comedy special on Netflix and I can definitively tell you he is popular for one reason and one reason only: pic.twitter.com/LYD06Nd0qi
— David James (@DJNSussex) November 19, 2023
“I think if people would just give it a chance without going into it and being like, ‘Oh, only girls like him,’ or ‘People only like his face,’” he continued. “If you give it an opportunity, I think you’d like it.”
Fans React to Matt Rife’s Natural Selection
As Matt Rife’s opening joke on Natural Selection doesn’t sit well with many, a lot of netizens can’t help but share their reactions about it online.
X (formerly Twitter) user @ohksamaria claimed what Rife was a result of inflating someone’s head so much that they think anything they’re about to say will just fly by. “Let’s be fr @mattrife isn’t “comedian” funny and used his little belt video to get where he’s at now,” the netizen continued.
Matt Rife opens his special with a “if a woman could cook she wouldn’t have a black eye” joke. Really? This is your god?
— Alison Klemp/Fridson 🍉 (@alisonklemp) November 16, 2023
Another said that what he did was the “most disgusting thing” they had ever seen. Others are just waiting for his downfall after his controversial stint.
And though he seemed to apologize on his Instagram story by providing a link that says, “Tap to solve your issue,” it will just lead to a shop where special needs helmets are sold.
Matt rife posts a link to an “apology” but it’s really just this……BIG YIKES pic.twitter.com/WjjMzk0TEO
— 𝒸𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶 (@ageofchris) November 20, 2023
By the looks of it, Matt Rife is trying to escape the image of being a handsome man adored by many women online due to his looks. He wants to be known for his comedy, so he makes his stand-up special to cater to men’s humor, not knowing he has let a lot of his female fans down. Issues of abuse and domestic violence have been sensitive since time immemorial, but many are still making fun of these horrific events that many women experience.
This isn’t the first time a stand-up comedy has gone wrong for making fun of sensitive issues, and not everyone learns from it. So, let’s see what will happen next to Rife’s career after this controversy subsides.
