Matt Rife, a stand-up comedian from North Lewisburg, Ohio, rose to prominence via viral comedy clips uploaded onto TikTok and appeared on NBC comedy competition series Bring the Funny.
Natural Selection was met with mixed reviews and outrage, sparking a heated cultural dialogue about whether or not it is acceptable to laugh at certain groups of people.
He is a stand-up comedian
Matt Rife is an Ohio-based stand-up comedian and actor. Since age 15, he has performed comedy alongside some of the industry’s biggest names such as Dane Cook and Ralphie May – becoming a regular at The Laugh Factory as a result.
His debut Netflix special, Natural Selection, caused outrage due to its offensive jokes. These include an offensively cringeworthy joke about children with intellectual disabilities as well as domestic violence references that could only be described as homophobic.
Rife’s 2023 shows at Chicago Theatre and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium have been postponed; ticket holders will receive full refunds. He was previously featured as a contestant on Bring the Funny, released two comedy specials via Netflix and hosted Total Request Live as well as appearing on MTV’s The Challenge: Champs vs Stars; however he has come under fire for using sexually explicit language and making offensive comments regarding minority groups.
He is an actor
Matt Rife is an actor with an impressive social media presence and following. He hosts his own YouTube channel where he acts as a paranormal investigator, and has guest starred on various television shows like Bring the Funny. Additionally, Netflix recently offered up Natural Selection as his own stand-up special!
His fame stems from his stunning good looks. Any profile written about him inevitably mentions his sexual charms; furthermore, his disarming charm instantly endears him to many fans.
His debut Netflix special, Natural Selection was met with mixed reactions upon its debut. One of its opening jokes centered around domestic violence – which caused outrage from female fan bases. Later, he cancelled performances at Chicago Theatre and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as part of his ProbleMATTic World Tour due to health reasons.
He is a producer
Netflix specials present comedians with a great opportunity to connect with large audiences and generate laughs, yet Matt Rife seems to have achieved success thanks to media buzz and his physical attractiveness alone. Rife, who gained prominence through TikTok, has undergone cosmetic work – specifically veneers – which has given him an alluring aesthetic glowup and gives his luscious locks the appearance of Faberge egg perfection.
Natural Selection was his debut Netflix special and quickly rose into the top 10, but also generated considerable backlash due to its opening joke on domestic violence and offensive comments made about women with large clitorises in his standup routines. Rife postponed two shows in Indiana as well as his tour in Tennessee as he attempts to move past this incident and get back into comedy.
He has a YouTube channel
Matt Rife shot to prominence after a TikTok video of him performing crowd work from one of his comedy specials went viral on TikTok. Since then, he has performed around the globe and competed on NBC’s Bring the Funny competition in 2019 (where he also featured as one of four contestants), plus appearing as an antagonist character in B-movie slasher film Black Pumpkin.
His Netflix special Natural Selection may have been an unexpected hit on the platform, yet has generated much debate due to its regressive humor. The special contains jokes which may offend certain groups such as children with intellectual disabilities and contains homophobic jokes from its early 90s debut.
Rife has continued his comedy show despite backlash, and will reschedule shows at Chicago Theatre and Ryman Auditorium in Nashville; ticket holders will receive full refunds. His popularity remains undiminished; he recently signed two special agreements with Netflix; plans include creating more content about ranch life on that platform as well as his former Wild ‘N Out cast member life.