Why are people mad at Matt Rife? Netflix special domestic violence joke backlash explained

Comedian Matt Rife made his way into the spotlight after several netizens slammed him for making a domestic violence joke in Netflix’s special Natural Selection. The show aired on November 16, when Matt Rife started with the controversial joke about him being in a restaurant in Baltimore with a friend when he spotted a female server with a black eye.

Matt Rife said he and his friend kept wondering why the female server was not made to work in the kitchen so that the customers at the restaurant would not see the black eye. He then joked and said:

“Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”

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He continued with the joke and said how he was just “testing the water.”

“I figure if we start the show with domestic violence the rest of the show should be smooth sailing,” he said.

However, the joke garnered a lot of backlash from the masses, who stated that the comedian should not have joked about the sensitive issue. Later, on November 20, the comedian took to his Instagram and posted:

“If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology.”

He then added a link with the text “Tap to solve the issue.” The link led the people to a website with helmets, suggesting they purchase them. The comedian's mocking apology made netizens even more enraged by his actions and garnered more negative comments.

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“I thought jokes were supposed to be funny”: Social media users lash out at Matt Rife for domestic violence joke in the Netflix special

Matt Rife’s joke about the female server’s eye being black has spread like wildfire on social media and has outraged a lot of netizens, as many found his joke offensive and demeaning. Here is how the masses reacted as @TheOfficerTatum posted the clip on X (formerly Twitter):

Netizens slam Rife for joking about domestic violence in the Netflix Special on November 16, 2023. (Image via @TheOfficerTatum/X)

While Matt Rife has already made a mock apology by making fun of the people offended by the joke, netizens now seem more upset with the comedian. At the moment, neither Rife nor the makers of the Netflix special have responded to the backlash after the comedian’s Instagram post.

About the author

Srishti is a celebrity trends writer at SK POP holding a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. She has always been passionate about writing and has 7 years of experience in the field, having previously worked at Catch News and News18 India.

She believes it is crucial to conduct in-depth research on any topic she covers, and aims to write authentic and error-free content. She also ensures she eliminates any information that is not verified to provide readers with top-notch and accurate articles.

Srishti admires Beyoncé for her vocal skills and also appreciates the kindness with which she treats her fans. She also thinks it is commendable that the artist is involved in social work and prioritizes giving back to the community.

FRIENDS has been her favorite series since she was in school, so she would love to be part of the iconic sitcom if she could lay hands on a time machine, and interact with the lead stars if she could.

When Srishti is not busy reading and writing about the latest developments in the industry, she enjoys playing badminton, swimming, and painting.

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Edited by Shreya Das