Comedian Matt Rife in HOT water after release of 'Natural Selection' on Netflix

Comedian Matt Rife just released his first-ever Netflix special, and not everyone is happy about it.

The comedian couldn’t even get through his opening joke before calls for his cancellation started circulating. The opening joke was a gag about domestic violence.

“I just wanted to see if y’all were fun,” he told the audience afterward.

Rife later “apologized” via his Instagram story, writing, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told — here’s a link to my official apology.”

However, the link just directed followers to a special needs helmet shopping page.

“I didn’t find that joke either especially funny or offensive,” Lauren Chen says about his domestic violence bit, but notes that the reason his audience is so angry is likely due to his large female following.

Chen thought Rife’s apology was “pretty good” and doesn’t think the blowback is really deserved.

“Matt Rife is a comedian that doesn’t actually mean that he doesn’t like women, that he doesn’t like the elderly, that he doesn’t like people with down syndrome,” Chen explains to those who might have a harder time understanding.

“There’s a difference between joking about something versus actually believing that thing, and oftentimes, what makes a joke about a topic funny is the fact that the statement is so outrageous and unthinkable,” she adds.

While Chen doesn’t believe Rife should be “canceled,” she also doesn’t think his special — though it “definitely had moments” — is that good.

“After my husband and I watched the Matt Rife special, we also went to watch the Shane Gillis special,” Chen says, adding, “and in my opinion that one is just way funnier, way better all around.”

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