Talent Recap

TikTok Star Matt Rife Premieres Netflix Comedy Special “Natural Selection”

Matt Rife at Forbes 2023 Top 50 CreatorsPhoto by Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Reading Time: 3 minutes

TikTok sensation Matt Rife is the newest comedian on Netflix. The 28-year-old is bringing his humor to the famous streaming service after independently releasing his specials.


Matt Rife Releases Comedy Special Natural Selection on Netflix

Most popularly known for his viral content on TikTok, Rife is a booming personality in the comedy scene. For most of his career, he has self-released his YouTube specials — Only Fans, Matthew Steven Rife and Walking Red Flag. Since he’s released three independent specials, scoring Netflix special is a big deal.

“From his problem with protection crystals to his beef with social media trolls, comedian Matt Rife holds nothing back in this rollicking stand-up special,” the special’s official Netflix description read.

According to Rife, nobody wanted to give him a special before, so he decided to do it on his own. Admitting that the process has been “validating,” his efforts paid off, with his fan base growing exponentially. Despite the fulfillment, Rife is thrilled that he’s finally having stand-up special in collaboration with Netflix.


loading="lazy"

“It feels warm. It feels inviting,” he told Variety. “Netflix has been great about the entire creative process. They’ve given me the freedom to keep telling the jokes I want to tell and shoot things the way I want to shoot them.”

Aside from his Tiktok fame, Rife is no stranger to screen appearances. He appeared on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off the Boat. Furthermore, he made his television debut on MTV’s Wild ’n Out. At present, he’s embarking on his sold-out ProbleMATTic World Tour.

He Says Comedians Shouldn’t Worry About Offending People

In Natural Selection, Rife openly talks about kids, religion, and finding his dad’s p*rn. While takes caution in blurting out his jokes, he doesn’t let his humor be destroyed by “this whole sensitivity rumor in the comedy world.”


“I don’t really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumor in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore. That’s b*llsh*t,” he said. “You can say whatever you want. Now, you have to prepare for repercussions. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to how do you sleep at night.”

It’s been Rife’s belief that “people’s perspective of you isn’t your responsibility.” Therefore, while making up his jokes, he said that it all boils down to intent.

“I like dark humor, I don’t believe there’s anything you can’t talk about if you do it correctly, in the right way, at the right time. At the end of the day, I think you need to just go out there. You have to be yourself and not worry about offending a certain amount of people. You might miss out on a joke that you’re worried might offend somebody, but might make you a million new fans,” he said.

Matt Rife: Natural Selection is now available to stream on Netflix.

Let us know what you feel about this article
+1
0
+1
1
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Calling all Talent Enthusiasts!

Subscribe to the Talent Recap Newsletter for all Talent News, and/or subscribe to our EXCLUSIVE America's Got Talent Newsletter for all the latest AGT Scoop!

Enter your email address in the box below, click "Subscribe", and find the latest news delivered to your inbox weekly. Be prepared to experience the thrill, the drama, and the sheer talent that all of these shows have to offer!
Choose the news YOU want
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x