On November 15, Netflix released “Natural Selection,” and while a few fans were impressed with the material, many more were outraged. In the show, Rife starts off with a joke about domestic violence, something that unsurprisingly did not sit well with many viewers. “I figure if we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be smooth sailing,” he quips in the special. In response, fans have taken to social media, criticizing the comedian’s choice of joke.
“Can’t believe Netflix even allowed Matt Rife a special, for him to then use that opportunity to joke about domestic violence [and] put his raging misogyny on blast,” one user wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Women made Matt Rife’s career what it is, and he goes and tells a domestic violence joke in the first 5 mins of his Netflix special,” another person tweeted, referencing the comedian’s female-dominated fanbase.
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Things seemed to take an even uglier turn when Rife offered a cheeky apology, further riling up critics. Taking to Instagram on November 20, Rife shared a post, where he redirected fans to an apology video. “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told — here is a link to my official apology,” Rife wrote. Included was a link labeled “Tap to solve your issue.” The link, however, led to a website selling special needs helmets for adults and children. In response to the disingenuous apology, critics accused Rife of mocking his followers and promoting ableism. “Oh good. Ableism to chase the misogyny,” one user criticized.
