Comedian Matt Rife isn’t backing down from the controversy sparked by his opening joke about domestic violence for his first Netflix comedy special. Instead, he appears to be stirring up new controversy by sending reviews to a special helmet site.
Actor Matt Rife responds to the domestic violence controversy by humoring ableism. The rising comedian just released his first Netflix comedy special and the very first joke sparked a wave of backlash.
In response to this, Rife took his Instagram Stories Monday night, not to defend his joke or apologize for it, but to target an entirely different demographic and possibly stir up another nest of controversy.
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“If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I told you,” he captioned an image of himself on stage, “here’s a link to my official apology.”
Reminder Matt Rife is a POS pic.twitter.com/EoCWOM90V2
– Pro-Choice Aunt (@WisKanSass) November 21, 2023
@WisKanSass
The link itself was titled “Tap to resolve your issue.” But it didn’t end up on a page of apology. Instead, it refers to Medical store website page for suitable helmets.
A few hours later, Rife returned to his Stories with an apparent reaction to this first message. “We’re on the naughty list,” he captioned a new image with a smiling, winking emoji. This link was titled “This one’s real this time” with a crying and laughing emoji.
He took the fans to last link all alone Youtube page where he teases a few members of his group about how they met. The song is titled “Bad Santa”, which explains its reference in Stories.
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matt widespread, you will start coughing in seven days…. pic.twitter.com/w2UH9FSIyr
– m (@imnotauntblazer) November 21, 2023
@imnotauntblazer
The original offensive joke was set up by Rife saying that he and a friend were at a “ratchet” restaurant in Baltimore when they realized their server had a black eye. When the friend wondered why she wouldn’t have been moved to the kitchen so customers wouldn’t have to see it, Rife replied: “Yeah, but I feel like if she knew how to cook , she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
Immediately after this opening joke, Rife appeared to gauge the audience’s response, telling the crowd that he was “just testing the waters, to see if y’all were going to be funny or not.”
“I think if we start the show with domestic violence,” he continued, “the rest of the show should go smoothly.”
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Rife, who admitted in an interview with Variety that his fan base was originally more female, due to his viral success on TikTok, he wanted to prove with this first big special that his material is for both genders. “I would say this stage is much more for the guys,” he told the outlet.
Rife’s final slide on his Instagram Stories at the time of publication, he was celebrating that his Netflix special Natural selection is currently number one on the Top 10 TV Shows in the United States Today.
Meanwhile, a good portion of those who attended the special took to social media to respond to this opening choice to make a joke about domestic violence and they’re certainly not laughing… at the joke initial or its ableist response.
I see we watched Matt Rife’s Netflix special… pic.twitter.com/eNIB3uTn9j
– K*rk (@krktwe3ts) November 21, 2023
@krktwe3ts
Now Playing: The Fall of Matt Rife
– Jennuinely tired (@jenn_ficarra) November 21, 2023
@jenn_ficarra
I don’t usually let this kind of influencer drama get to me, but Matt Rife crossed a line with his domestic violence jokes and responded with the Instagram story below. So disgusting. pic.twitter.com/dOYuG3dAqg
– Christi (@crispycarpy) November 21, 2023
@crispycarpy
It’s so cool of Matt Rife to show his ableism now. I’m so glad I didn’t get tickets. pic.twitter.com/HKaN3tzhyq
– Amber (Taylor version) 🥀🖤 (@amberpunkrose) November 20, 2023
@amberpunkrose
the fact that I loved Matt Rife and it turns out he’s literally an abelist and making jokes about people experiencing domestic violence is crazy to me.
— Kaylin ♡ FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸 (@coffinclaws) November 21, 2023
@coffinclaws
remove Matt Rife comedy special @netflix pic.twitter.com/UymmHDIzas
– court (@capitolstark) November 21, 2023
@capitolstark
I meet Matt omnipresent pic.twitter.com/ZZUDNVCruw
– kait 🚕🎱🤍 (@mcntanasky) November 21, 2023
@mcntanasky
This is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen @mattrife pic.twitter.com/8C0cxQhaN0
— mandi | i era (@themoonishigh13) November 21, 2023
@themoonishigh13
Matt Rife posts a link to an “apology” but that’s really just it……BIG Ouch pic.twitter.com/WjjMzk0TEO
— 𝒸𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶 (@ageofchris) November 20, 2023
@ageofchris
This isn’t Matt Rife building his platform by speaking to his female audience and then opening his Netflix special with a joke about domestic violence 🤡 pic.twitter.com/JnDppVdY2N
– Chef Don (@The_Silicon_Don) November 20, 2023
@The_Silicon_Don
Is Matt a real person or just a yassified Daniel Tosh
–Al Shipley (@alshipley) November 21, 2023
@alshipley
Matt Rife makes a sexist “joke”/DV…then sends people to a website about special needs helmets as an “apology”.
There is a difference between a bold joke and simple disrespect and bad taste. pic.twitter.com/T8YOwRU7fP
– Green (@palegreenmm) November 21, 2023
@palegreenmm
If you support Matt Rife, tell me so I can block you immediately. he is ill. pic.twitter.com/GSZkTUXhw4
— Haley on Cornelia Street ⸆⸉ 🫶🏻 (@loveisgolden13_) November 21, 2023
@loveisgolden13_
I’m here for Matt Rife’s slander special on Netflix. Dude’s comedy style is bland pic.twitter.com/NVW8X068e2
– Whitney Wells (@WellsWhitn91295) November 21, 2023
@WellsWhitn91295
Either Matt Rife’s team has no idea what he’s doing or they’re just as stupid as him because that’s an INSANE answer (note the link to special needs helmets)
This guy really isn’t smart enough to be funny. pic.twitter.com/c1X44tC9jY
-Emma Stevens (@emcatco) November 21, 2023
@emcatco
Matt Rife canceled? pic.twitter.com/H9c9laQsUy
-Matt 🚩 (@yomattycakes) November 20, 2023
@yomattycakes
damn, is Matt Rife okay?? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1fH4CQqfwD
— Summer 🌼👃🏻🌼 (@summorgue) November 20, 2023
@summorgue
Gn En enter