Matt Rife is a stand-up comedian with more than 14 million TikTok followers, including over two million from The Laugh Factory itself. In addition, Matt stars in NBC comedy competition series Bring the Funny. At just 24 years old he became The youngest regular performer at this legendary venue.
He has shared the stage with notable comedians such as DL Hughley, Ralphie May, and Tommy Davidson – touring alongside them and making appearances on Wild ‘N Out. In addition, he became one of the youngest people ever featured on BET’s ComicView program.
Born in Columbus, Ohio
Matt Rife was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio as part of a blended family. His biological father passed away when he was only 17 months old and his mother later remarried when he turned five; two older stepsisters and one younger half-sister are part of this blended household while his stepfather works as a businessman.
Matt began performing standup at 15 and has never stopped since. His comedy credentials include opening for Dane Cook, DL Hughley, Ralphie May, and Finesse Mitchell among many other talents. Additionally, Matt made appearances on Wild ‘N Out sketch comedy show as well as hosting a brief-lived reboot of Total Request Live.
Matt is currently performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and can be seen regularly on television show Bring the Funny, where he advanced to week 8 before being eliminated. Matt self-produced his first comedy special Only Fans which made waves across TikTok; plans are in place to release his Netflix special later in 2023.
Known as the “Justin Bieber of Comedy”
Matt Rife found viral fame after a clip of his crowd work went viral on TikTok in 2022. The popularity of his video earned him an appearance on an extremely popular comedy podcast as well as an appearance with Netflix for an original special he created himself. Rife’s success has generated much debate regarding whether his comedy is funny or offensive and what it says about comedy when an individual comedian’s hit special can bring such intense derision from fans and critics alike.
Rife’s TikTok moments feature him often flirting with women in his audience, leading to many critics to accuse him of pandering to women and producing comedy “for them”. But Rife insists he doesn’t make comedy “for the girls”, instead attributing his popularity purely to his physical appeal.
Rife recently made headlines when he abruptly cancelled two shows at Indiana University Auditorium due to illness, offering his apologies to fans by explaining that he suffered extreme exhaustion while traveling and nearly fainted during their journey there. Rife also announced rescheduling for these shows as part of his ProbleMATTic World Tour.
Has a female fan base
Once TikTok made Rife famous, his popularity skyrocketed and he quickly established himself as an iconic comedian in comedy circles. Almost immediately, his fame spread to female audiences who greatly supported his career; but eventually his humor devolved into something more sinister – specifically jokes about domestic violence that were seen as inappropriate by most viewers but misogynists found quite amusing due to releasing pent-up aggression against women through these jokes.
No one knows why Matt Rife feels the need to pander to misogynists, but his behavior certainly did not sit well with female fans of his. Many have taken to social media in response and voiced their displeasure with him, especially after opening his Netflix special with an anti-domestic violence joke he didn’t explain and left audience members feeling betrayed.
Has a Twitter account
Matt Rife is an American comedian specializing in pop culture and social commentary. His comedy often causes controversy, prompting backlash from audiences as well as accusations of racism, sexism, and homophobia from many critics; yet, despite these incidents he continues to gain popularity with female audiences.
Rife is best-known for his standup special Natural Selection as well as guest roles on Wild ‘n Out and Brooklyn Nine-Nine sketch comedy television shows. Furthermore, he hosts his own YouTube channel called Overnight where he portrays a paranormal investigator.
Rife recently postponed two shows at the IU Auditorium in Indiana due to what the venue described as “a last-minute medical emergency.” All ticket holders will be offered refunds for any rescheduled performances. Rife is currently touring across America on his ProbleMATTic World Tour; his debut Netflix special Natural Selection received mixed reviews from critics and is currently ranked 17 on Rotten Tomatoes.