During his highly anticipated performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, Matt Rife made a poignant reference to his widely-discussed 2023 Netflix special. The special had generated criticism and controversy due to a joke involving domestic violence.
During his 90-minute stand-up set, he tackled various topics including drugs, old age, and insomnia. In an interesting moment, the 28-year-old comedian even shared a joint with a 68-year-old woman from the audience. Rife’s performance largely focused on the boundaries of what is considered acceptable and unacceptable when it comes to jokes, particularly in front of a Los Angeles audience.
During his performance, Rife made a few lighthearted remarks about transgender individuals. He humorously added, “Am I worried about getting canceled? Not at all! I’ll just go ahead and do another Bowl show, no big deal.”
He continued, “You know that’s not a real punishment… nothing happens. Prison is a true form of punishment.”
Rife then delved into a series of prison jokes and directly confronted his controversial domestic violence joke. He proceeded to engage in crowd work by interacting with an audience member who had reportedly been incarcerated for assault. “Ma’am, are you alright?” Rife inquired to the man’s companion, before adding, “Guys, I’m just kidding. Domestic violence is never funny, under any circumstances, in any comedy special.”
Rife faced immediate backlash when his first Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” premiered in November 2023.
During his comedy special, the comedian, who had already built a significant social media fanbase, shared a humorous anecdote about his encounter with a hostess at a restaurant in Baltimore. The comedian’s dining companion questioned why the hostess wasn’t working in the kitchen to hide her black eye. In response, the comedian jokingly remarked, “Yeah, but I have a feeling that if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
In the special, Rife mentioned that he was simply gauging the audience’s receptiveness and humor. He humorously stated, “I’m just testing the waters, seeing if y’all are gonna be fun or not. … I figure if we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be smooth sailing.”
After the internet storm, Rife took to Instagram to address the situation. In an Instagram story, he acknowledged the offense caused by his jokes and offered an official apology. He even shared a link, inviting people to “tap to solve the issue.” However, instead of leading to an apology, the link directed users to a website selling special needs helmets. This action appeared to mock sensitive viewers and only intensified the controversy.
During his performance at the Hollywood Bowl for the Netflix Is a Joke festival, Rife couldn’t resist commenting on the irony of the situation. He playfully mentioned the controversy surrounding his joke about special needs helmets, and then pointed out that he was now performing in the “biggest helmet” of them all – the Hollywood Bowl’s iconic round structure.
Despite facing criticism, Rife’s “Natural Selection” special garnered over 10 million views within the initial few weeks of its release and achieved a place in the Global Top 10 in 42 countries. Netflix has already scheduled two more specials with Rife, one of which will be the streaming platform’s first-ever full-length crowd work special.
Before his latest comedy special, the comedian from Ohio expressed his views on the sensitivity surrounding comedy. In an interview with Variety, he stated that he doesn’t believe in the notion that you can’t say anything anymore. He dismissed it as nonsense and emphasized that comedians can still say whatever they want. However, he acknowledged that there may be consequences for their words and actions. Ultimately, he believes that it’s important for comedians to reflect on their choices and consider how they feel about them when they lay down to sleep at night.
“I’m a fan of dark humor,” he added. “I firmly believe that any topic can be discussed if approached with sensitivity, timing, and tact. Ultimately, it’s important to be true to yourself and not be overly concerned about potentially offending a few individuals. While you may choose to hold back on a joke that could be seen as offensive, you might also be missing out on gaining a whole new group of enthusiastic fans.”
The Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival will take place from May 1-12 at different venues in Los Angeles.
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