With the release of his Netflix special “Natural Selection,” which debuted on the platform on November 15, comedian Matt Rife sparked controversy. An early joke about domestic violence opens the show. Rife sent anybody hurt by his comments to a website for special needs helmets in what seemed to be an apology that was uploaded to his Instagram story.
Rife opens “Natural Selection” with a narrative about seeing a female waitress at a “ratchet” Baltimore restaurant with a black eye while dining with a buddy. They question why the waiter isn’t sent to the kitchen exclusively so that patrons aren’t exposed to her black eye. “Yeah, but I feel like she wouldn’t have that black eye if she could cook,” quips Rife.
Rife explains to the group that he was “just testing the waters, seeing if y’all are gonna be fun or not” when he made the joke. “I figure the rest of the show should be smooth sailing if we start the show with domestic violence,” he continues.
The joke caused such a stir on social media in the days after “Natural Selection” went live on streaming services that Rife had to post a fictitious apology on his Instagram story on November 20.
He said, “Here’s a link to my official apology if you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told,” followed with a link that read, “Tap to solve the issue.” The link led users to a health website where they could buy helmets specifically designed for people with special requirements. His mocking of outraged viewers with his joke about domestic abuse by comparing it to special needs just fueled the fire.
Variety has contacted Rife’s agent to get further information.
With the help of videos uploaded on TikTok and other platforms, Rife became a viral comedy sensation on social media, and “Natural Selection” is his debut comedy special on Netflix. Rife recently discussed his desire for “Natural Selection” to appeal to all genders in an interview with Variety, citing the fact that his social media videos often target a female audience.
“Oh, he only has a female fan base? That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about things I get ridiculed for online,” Rife said. “Yes, initially, since I did become rather popular on TikTok, a platform mostly dominated by women…I see that viewpoint, then. However, it’s 50/50 when you go to the concerts, I mean. Couples are coming out. Guys in groups are the ones arriving. And one of the things I wanted to address in this special was demonstrating to people that, in spite of what you may have read about me online, I don’t tailor my professional life to appeal to women.
He went on, “I would argue that this special is way more for guys.” “I wanted to give everyone something unique to remember. I take great satisfaction in creating humor that appeals to everybody. Not for a certain group of people. Would that people would just give it a chance instead of jumping right in and saying things like, “Oh, girls only like him,” or “people only like his face,” I believe you would like it if you gave it a chance.
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