Matt Rife has remained steadfast about a domestic violence joke in his recently-released Netflix special, taking to Twitter to brag about its popularity.
A joke told by the Ohio-born comedian at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC, was labelled as sexist and to be making light of domestic violence by critics.
Rife is seemingly unfazed by the backlash, boasting his special Natural Selection was number two on US Netflix.
Alongside a screenshot of his comedy special on the charts, he penned: ‘Rack ’em up baby! Let’s goooooooo.’
The comedian recently hit back at criticism regarding the jibe.
He wrote on his Instagram story: ‘If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology,’ linking to a website that sells helmets for people with certain disabilities.
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 2 Slammed: Matt Rife has remained steadfast about a domestic violence joke in his recently-released Netflix special, taking to Twitter to brag about its popularity](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046185-12773593-The_latest_Comedian_Matt_Rife_28_on_Monday_has_pushed_back_after-m-158_1700537931582.jpg)
Slammed: Matt Rife has remained steadfast about a domestic violence joke in his recently-released Netflix special, taking to Twitter to brag about its popularity
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 4 Boasting: The comedian maintained his fierce stance on the controversial joke, bragging on Twitter about his special ranking second on US Netflix](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/22/09/78101587-12778947-image-a-15_1700645192106.jpg)
Boasting: The comedian maintained his fierce stance on the controversial joke, bragging on Twitter about his special ranking second on US Netflix
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 6 Doubling down: 'If you've ever been offended by a joke I've told, here's a link to my official apology,' Rife, 28, said in an Instagram Stories post](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78045751-12773593-image-a-160_1700538122409.jpg)
Doubling down: ‘If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology,’ Rife, 28, said in an Instagram Stories post
Rife kicked off the controversial joke with a comparison between the American capital and it’s largest nearest city – Baltimore.
‘I’ve only been to Baltimore one time, and the hostess who seats you had a black eye – a full black eye.’
Rife, who gained exposure on TikTok, said in the special. ‘It wasn’t like, “What happened?” It was pretty obvious what happened.
‘But we couldn’t get over, like, this is the face of the company? This is who you have greeting people?’
Rife’s story continued: ‘And my boy, who I was with, was like, “Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face.”‘
‘And I was like, “Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”‘
Amid pushback from members of the crowd, he acknowledged the strong subject matter he covered in his material, then segued into another routine.
‘Testing the water, seeing if y’all are going to be fun or not,’ Rife said. ‘I figured we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be pretty smooth sailing.
‘Of course I felt bad for her. She should have had her protection crystals, you know what I mean?’
Rife’s joke drew a number of critics on Twitter, many of whom said they were satisfied to see the TikTok sensation in hot water.
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 8 Backlash: To kick off his set in the special, which was filmed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC , Rife told a joke critics said was sexist and made light of domestic violence](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046179-12773593-image-m-163_1700538628278.jpg)
Backlash: To kick off his set in the special, which was filmed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC , Rife told a joke critics said was sexist and made light of domestic violence
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 10 Not so funny: The Columbus, Ohio-born comedian did a bit about the contrast between the nation's capital and its biggest nearby neighbouring city in Baltimore](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046173-12773593-image-m-171_1700538831325.jpg)
Not so funny: The Columbus, Ohio-born comedian did a bit about the contrast between the nation’s capital and its biggest nearby neighbouring city in Baltimore
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 12 78046727 12773593 image a 164 1700538644456](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046727-12773593-image-a-164_1700538644456.jpg)
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 14 78046731 12773593 image a 165 1700538651421](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046731-12773593-image-a-165_1700538651421.jpg)
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 16 78046735 12773593 image a 166 1700538659898](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046735-12773593-image-a-166_1700538659898.jpg)
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 18 Furious: Rife's joke drew a number of critics on Twitter, many of whom said they were satisfied to see the TikTok sensation in hot water](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046733-12773593-image-a-167_1700538665976.jpg)
Furious: Rife’s joke drew a number of critics on Twitter, many of whom said they were satisfied to see the TikTok sensation in hot water
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 20 Shocked: One user commented on Rife's response, saying, 'BIG YIKES'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/22/09/78046725-12778947-One_user_commented_on_Matt_s_response_saying_BIG_YIKES_-a-16_1700647132568.jpg)
Shocked: One user commented on Rife’s response, saying, ‘BIG YIKES’
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 22 Defence: Another person said they were surprised at the joke Rife told after thinking it had been an 'overblown' controversy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/03/78046729-12773593-image-a-169_1700538749303.jpg)
Defence: Another person said they were surprised at the joke Rife told after thinking it had been an ‘overblown’ controversy
One user said: ‘Matt Rife opens his special with a “if a woman could cook she wouldn’t have a black eye” joke. Really? This is your god?’
Another said, ‘The way women catapulted matt rife into popularity and the second he gets a comedy special on Netflix he immediately betrays them with a joke about domestic violence … crazy innit.’
Said one user: ‘Matt Rife: my special is for guys… Immediately opens up with a domestic violence joke.’
One user posted a meme of Stephen Colbert eating popcorn with 3D glasses on, with the caption, ‘Me witnessing the downfall of Matt Rife after saying from Day 1 that he gives off ‘president of the frat that women warn other women about’ vibes.’
Another person said they were surprised at the joke Rife told after thinking it had been an ‘overblown’ controversy.
‘My TikTok fyp has been a tonne of people complaining about the Matt Rife domestic violence joke, and to be honest because of the way my fyp is I kinda assumed it was being overblown,’ the user said.
‘When I finally saw the actual “joke” though… I have to apologise, y’all were so correct.’
One user commented on Rife’s response, saying, ‘BIG YIKES.’
Rife last week spoke with Variety in a Q&A in which he said he doesn’t ‘really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumour in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore,’ calling the notion ‘bulls***.’
![Matt Rife stands firm on controversial joke in Netflix special despite viewer criticism, celebrates major accomplishment 24 Won't back down: Rife last week said he doesn't 'really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumour in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore,' calling the notion 'bulls***'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/21/04/78046183-12773593-image-m-173_1700539237039.jpg)
Won’t back down: Rife last week said he doesn’t ‘really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumour in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore,’ calling the notion ‘bulls***’
He added: ‘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. You know what I mean? Other people’s perspective of you isn’t your responsibility.’
Rife said that he goes onstage with the intention of ‘making people laugh’ and isn’t afraid on delving into topics that could be considered ‘dark humor.’
Said Rife: ‘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.
‘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.’