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Matt Rife, Masculinity, and the Fear of a Female Fandom
As an internet researcher who is always looking for cultural case studies, I have closely followed the career of comedian and content creator Matt Rife. My first introduction to Rife was through the MTV television series “Wild ‘N Out,” a sketch comedy show produced by Nick Cannon.
Later, I saw him on NBC’s “Bring the Funny,” which featured numerous comedians who now have television shows and comedy specials. It was no surprise to me when I started seeing Rife’s videos on my TikTok feed, where he has become known for his clever crowd-work and engaging with his audience. Many people already familiar with Matt Rife’s career before TikTok also noticed that his popularity on the app brought a lot of criticism towards his abilities as a stand-up comedian.
While many people loved him, it seemed that even more people hated his comedy and how it contributed to crowd-work popularity within the genre. However, Rife was more than just an improv comic who could think on his feet. This fact was solidified after he sold out venues and eventually gained a Netflix comedy special. Expectations were high for Matt Rife, especially for those who had only gotten to know him through social media.
Sadly, what we got was not what anyone expected. In his Netflix special Natural Selection, Rife walks onto the stage to rapper 50 Cent’s “Many Men,” a not-so-subtle allusion to the many haters who hoped to see him fail throughout his meteoric rise to the top.
Beginning with a purposely controversial domestic violence joke and a pointed call out to girls who collect crystals, this comedy special was not created for the ladies. Despite watching the entire special, I was aware that in the era of Netflix comedy after Dave Chappelle, many women probably switched off after the first five minutes.
Which was precisely what Rife wanted.
Throughout the set, he references his need for “more guy fans” and crashes headlong into the self-fulfilling prophesy that women would not relate…
