'Matt Rife: Natural Selection': The controversy over the comedian's Netflix stand-up special explained

Matt Rife may be taking the comedy world by storm, but the 28-year-old stand-up comic and TikTok favorite is already stoking controversy with his new Netflix special, Natural Selection, which earned the No. 2 spot on the streaming service's global top 10 list of most-watched TV with 7.4 milliion views in its debut week.

But since its release, Rife's Natural Selection has faced blowback. The uproar is largely due to several jokes he performs in the the hour-long comedy special that make light of domestic violence and abuse, as well as his response to the controversy that some have deemed problematic.

Here's a look at Rife's rise to fame and the remarks that have landed him in hot water.

Who is Matt Rife?

Rife skyrocketed to stardom in the click-heavy world of social media. With 18.2 million followers on TikTok and 6.4 million followers on Instagram, he previously parlayed his popularity into self-produced comedy specials. Matt Rife: Only Fans hit YouTube in December 2021, while Matthew Steven Rife and Walking Red Flag both landed on the free video streaming site earlier this year. He's also made several appearances on shows like MTV’s Wild ’n Out and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Rife's jump to Netflix success was clearly a triumph for the comic, who had been doing comedy for over a decade when he launched his self-produced specials.

"I had to put them out on my own, which was very validating in and of itself. I grew my fan base exponentially," Rife told Variety earlier this month. "I was so grateful for how much people liked it. But to have somebody come from another level to be like, 'Hey, we like what you’re doing. We like what you’ve done for yourself. We want to invite you to work with us.' It feels warm. It feels inviting," he continued, noting that “You work your entire career to feel accepted by a network standard."

The controversial jokes from Natural Selection

Natural Selection, which was shot at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., kicks off with Rife discussing a trip to Baltimore, Md., during which he and a friend visit a "ratchet" restaurant and encountered a female hostess with a black eye.

"I've only been to Baltimore one time. I ate lunch there, and the hostess, who seats you at the restaurant, had a black eye. A full black eye," Rife told the crowd. "It wasn't like, 'What happened?' It was pretty obvious what happened. We couldn't get over the fact that like, this is the face of the company? This is who you have greeting people?"

He continued with the joke, saying, “And my boy who I was with 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, ya know?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye,’” Rife said, while some audience members laughed.

“Testing the waters, seeing if y’all are gonna be fun or not," Rife continued, "I figure we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be pretty smooth sailing after that."

In response, several people on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Rife's willingness to joke about domestic violence, especially against women.

In the same Variety interview, Rife noted that while he wants all viewers to enjoy the special, he is aware that Natural Selection might be more popular with men even though his TikTok viewers overwhelming female.

"One of the biggest misconceptions of things I get ridiculed online for is people are like, 'Oh, he only has a female fan base,'" he told Variety. "In the beginning yes, because I did blow up on TikTok which is very female-dominant. So, I get that perspective." He continued by saying this special "is way more for guys. I wanted to make this special for everybody. I pride myself on making my comedy for everybody. It's not for a specific demographic."

Rife's response to the criticism

While Rife didn't comment specifically about the controversy that has erupted in regard to his jokes about domestic violence, he did offer up a statement in an Instagram Story published on Monday that only intensified uproar among viewers.

“If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told — here’s a link to my official apology," he wrote. The link option read "Tap to solve your issue." However, instead of linking to an apology, it directed viewers to the medical website Medicale Shop, which specifically linked to an option to purchase helmets for people with special needs.

Several hours later, Rife chimed in again on Instagram, writing "We on the naughty list," alongside a winky-smile emoji. A new link was labeled: "This one's real this time." However, it directed followers to his YouTube page where a comedy clip titled "Bad Santa" was posted. The clip featured Rife doing standup and riffing with the crowd, teasing a couple who were happy to join in on the mockery.

Beyond his Instagram posts, Rife has not spoken out any further about the jokes in his special or his reactions to the backlash. Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to Netflix and Rife's representatives for comment, but did not receive responses at the time of publication.

Matt Rife: Natural Selection is currently streaming on Netflix.