Trigger Warning: This article includes references to domestic violence
Matt Rife has been in the public eye for quite some time now. The comedian went viral earlier with clips from his comic shows on the platform TikTok. Matt Rife has become one of the most popular stand-up comedians recently, so much so that he even has his own Netflix special. Speaking of this, the comedian has been facing fan wrath over a few of his jokes. He has been accused of making a slew of sexist jokes in his special. For this, the comedian has received a negative reaction and has landed in a controversy.
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Fans react to Matt Rife’s sexist jokes
Fans have forced the cancellation of viral comic Matt Rife after he made an “appalling” remark that left them sickened during his new Netflix comedy special. Rife decided to try out a domestic violence joke to launch his stand-up act, Natural Selection, which he previously stated is geared at guys.
He told the story of being served by a waitress with a black eye in Baltimore. The 28-year-old said he believed it was obvious what had happened to her, but he was astonished that she was still working, given her damaged state.
He said in his Netflix special, Matt Rife: Special Selection, “But we couldn’t get over, like, this is the company’s face? Is this who you have greeting visitors?” Rife said he and his friend felt horrible for her and then came the jokes at her expense. “And my boy, who I was with at the time, was like, ‘Yeah, I feel bad for her, man. I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face.’ Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
The comedian then said that he was trying out that joke to see if the crowd would find it fun. However, this didn’t sit well with fans, and they instantly started canceling the admired comedian. One user wrote on Twitter (now X), “#MattRife new comedy special, *lambaste ‘hippy chicks’ for their stones and astrology for the first fifteen minutes transitions to ‘god works in mysterious ways…’ Rose by another name, buddy. Shoulda stuck with TikTok crowdwork clips. It was about as funny as a dead puppy.”
Another user wondered why Netflix had his special on their platform: “Why hasn’t @netflix pulled #mattrife yet? Why did they allow it to air in the first place? And they want more of my money?” Some users even went on to say that they disliked him since the beginning: “I’ve been saying Matt Rife is a woman hater to anyone with ears for a whole year, and he has always looked like this to me.”
Another user expressed their grief over fans buying his world tour tickets and said, “I’m genuinely so sorry for the people who bought Matt Rife tickets for his world tour based on his crowd work on TikTok, because he might be one of the worst ‘comedians’ around.”
Matt Rife issues an apology
Matt Rife is reacting to the debate over domestic violence with humor and ableism. The rising comic recently published his debut Netflix comedy special, and the opening joke sparked outrage.
In reaction, Rife took to Instagram Stories on Monday night, not to defend or apologize for his joke but to target a completely different audience and perhaps stir up another nest of controversy. He captioned a photograph of himself on stage, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology.”
A fan reacted to his apology on Twitter (now X) and said, “F**k you, @mattrife, people with disabilities aren’t your punchline after making a misogynistic DV joke. Be funny without being a gross human, or you’re just not funny??”
He then posted another story that said this was an original apology with the caption, “We on the naughty list. This one’s real this time.” However, when you click the link, you will see a clip from one of his shows where he is engaging with fans.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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