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Comedian Matt Rife has sparked controversy with his Netflix special “Natural Selection,” which debuted on the streaming service on November 15th. The special opens with a joke about domestic violence. In an apparent apology on his Instagram Story, Rife directed anyone offended by his jokes to a link that took them to a website for special needs helmets.
Early in Rife’s “Natural Selection,” he tells a story about being at a Ratchet restaurant in Baltimore with a friend and noticing that the waitress had a black eye. They wonder why the restaurant doesn’t have the waiter work exclusively in the kitchen so that customers don’t see their black eye. Rife jokes: “Yeah, but I think if she could cook she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
Rife tells the crowd that the joke was that he was “just trying out the ratios to see if you all enjoyed it or not.” He adds, “I think if we start the show with domestic violence , the rest of the show should go smoothly.”
The joke caused controversy on social media in the days following “Natural Selection’s” streaming debut, so much so that Rife took to his Instagram Story on November 20 to issue a mock apology.
ongoing ongoing continuedbya ongoing ongoing continued When tapped, the link took followers to a health website where they could purchase helmets for special needs. The ridicule from viewers upset by his joke about domestic violence by invoking special needs only fueled the controversy further.
Variety has reached out to Rife’s rep for further comment.
“Natural Selection” marks Rife’s first Netflix comedy special after becoming a viral comedy superstar on social media thanks to videos posted on TikTok and other platforms. In how it was continued
“One of the biggest misconceptions about why I get ridiculed online is that people say, ‘Oh, he only has a female fan base,'” Rife said. “In the beginning, yes, because I blew up on TikTok, which is very female-dominant… So, I understand that perspective. But when you come to the shows it’s 50/50. They are couples who come out. It’s groups of guys that come. And confirmed one thing I continued to do in this special offer.
“I would argue that this special is much more for men,” he continued. “I wanted to make it special for everyone. I’m proud to make my comedy for everyone. It is not intended for a specific demographic. I think if people would just give him a chance without going into it and saying, “Oh, only girls like him” or “People only like his face.” If you give him an opportunity, I think it would You would like it.”
Rife’s “Natural Selection” is now available to stream on Netflix.
