Matt Rife burst onto the scene this year with viral comedy clips on TikTok and his debut Netflix special, Natural Selection. Additionally, he has collaborated with other comedians such as DL Hughley and Ralphie May during tours across North America.
His audience is predominantly women, so it was unexpected for him to open his special with a domestic abuse joke. While some have called for boycotting of Mizejewski’s comedy act in response, Mizejewski believes such measures would only serve to inhibit it further.
Matt Rife is an American stand-up comedian
Matt Rife has caused quite a stir with his Netflix special Natural Selection. Many consider his jokes regressive and include references to domestic violence and sexuality. Rife first rose to fame through TikTok where he posted routines featuring crowd work – the style whereby comedians interact directly with their audiences.
Drew Afualo, an active TikToker who specializes in responding to misogynistic men online, quickly responded to Rife’s remarks by noting it’s common for white, heterosexual comics to use misogyny in their work; she expressed surprise, however, by his explicit stance of alienating his female audience in favor of male audiences.
Critics noted Rife’s regressive humor often targets vulnerable groups. Critics asked whether it is acceptable for comedians to make jokes that demean or belittle women; Linda Mizejewski of Ohio State’s Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department as well as Hayden Moncada of Buckeye Standup Comedy Club both participated in the discussion.
He was born in Ohio
Rife is one of the hottest up-and-coming comedians on the scene. Beginning performing stand-up at age 15, he has since performed across the globe; becoming the youngest ever comedian to perform at Hollywood Bowl and earning one of Netflix’s highest viewed comedy specials with his Netflix special debut.
His distinctive brand of humor and natural charisma have won over audiences nationwide, appearing on popular shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off the Boat as well as hosting TRL on MTV and competing on Bring the Funny on NBC.
Matt is an authentic and genuine individual who has struggled with mental health issues, openly discussing them with his mother April and stepfather Steven for support and using humor as a form of healing himself. Additionally, Matt advocates on behalf of LGBTQ community.
He has a sister named Taylor Chilton
Matt Rife has become an unparalleled cultural phenomenon since becoming a TikTok comedian with predominantly female audiences. Starting off from couch surfing and bus hopping to selling out theaters worldwide.
However, his debut Netflix special Natural Selection has drawn widespread ire. Audience members were disappointed in its bland jokes about women in the kitchen or their biological clocks; some found the opening joke about domestic violence particularly offensive.
No matter its fairness or not, one thing is evident: Rife’s fan base largely consists of female followers. Thus it’s especially important that he does not offend them. Linda Mizejewski of Ohio State’s Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies department as well as Hayden Moncada of Buckeye Standup Comedy Club both expressed their opinions regarding this controversy, emphasizing how crucial it is for comedians to value their audiences; otherwise they risk misinterpreting or being misunderstood and never achieve recognition or respect from fans or audiences alike.
He has a step-brother named Christian Sievers
Rife has gained immense fame on TikTok for his crowd work routines, appearing on various television programs as well. Now he is creating his own workplace sitcom series for Netflix.
Rife’s humor can often provoke outrage online and has recently come under scrutiny after making an offending domestic violence joke in his new Netflix special, Natural Selection. His target audience, female audiences are his bread-and-butter. This joke caused much backlash as it targeted female audience that has made up much of his career success.
Within three minutes of his special, which consisted of him speaking directly to an audience in Washington D.C, Rife made a joke comparing Washington with Baltimore as “ratchet,” prompting an audible gasp from viewers and drawing an apology from Rife later but it had already caused significant harm to Washington audiences.