What’s the hype with Matt Rife?

Who is Matt Rife?

Popular comedian Matt Rife, 28, has risen to fame over the past few months due to blowing up on the internet. Unless you live under a rock, chances are you’ve seen his familiar face.

Rife is a stand-up comedian best known for his crowd work and becoming an internet sensation due to a TikTok of his going viral overnight. 

Rife debated posting the video, but ultimately, it worked in his favor. According to Rife, the two-and-a-half-minute clip was titled “The Lazy Hero” and gained 20 million views within two to three days.

Every video posted after “The Lazy Hero” continued to blow up. 

Over the next few months, he racked up over 15 million followers on TikTok and 5.6 million on Instagram.

So why is Matt Rife so popular?

He is handsome.

The majority of Rife’s fans are young women who find both his humor and looks attractive. These fans call out to him, make advances, and shower him with gifts when in his presence. 

Although his fans are mostly young, his pearly white teeth and short, messy hair are sure to attract people of all ages.

Rife had a funny bit with a “M.I.L.F.” (Mom I’d Like to Fuck) when he performed in Iowa earlier this year. He uploaded the clip on social media and titled it “Milf & Cookies,” in which he interacts with an older woman, Christina, who is very attractive and thinks the same of him. Now Christina has a real shot at fulfilling her cougar dreams.  

He is funny (is he really?).

Rife knew he wanted to be a comedian when he was just 14 years old, after performing at a school talent show. He then began comedy at age 15 and has since toured with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Mike Epps, Dane Cook, and Ralphie May.

Rife has also developed a relationship with his idol Dave Chappelle (a dream come true).

His jokes have a wide range, and most viewers can find something they enjoy in his remarks. His material is heavy on topics such as sex and relationships, which his female fans often engage with in the crowd. Well, I mean, how could they not?

Divided Viewers

Although Rife’s good at crowd work and has some funny jokes, not all comedy fans enjoy what he has to offer. On the Reddit thread, “Thoughts on Matt Rife?” many joke enthusiasts have provided their input on the comedian.

User ‘Sufficient_Sport 3137’ wrote, “I think he's very quick for sure, but I also find a lot of his jokes very cookie cutter and extremely predictable. Perfect for his audience of Facebook (moms). Marketable for sure, but really nothing even remotely unique comedy wise … ”

“Facebook moms”? That’s surely a unique insult if I’ve ever heard one.

A variety of viewers feel that because of his good looks, he is able to captivate the women who view his shows, whether online or in person. Some think this is his only “good” quality.

The user continues, “He's like the jock telling stories at a party and everyone's captivated. Do I like him, sure, but if anyone ‘less cool’ told the story, no one would care.”

Leave the jocks out of this, man!

This is a hot take among the comedy community since it seems fans are divided on whether it is his looks that make him, or if he actually is humorous.

User ‘team_suba’ wrote, “I think I’ve literally only seen him do crowd work.” 

So? I still laugh every time.

Whether some men feel insecure due to Rife’s looks or people just don’t find him funny, he definitely appeals to many women and (some) men, as evident by his major success. 

Matt Rife’s Acting

In 2015, Rife began appearing on Wild ‘N Out: Nick Cannon’s popular comedy series. He was cast on four seasons, including seasons seven, nine, 15, and 20. 

See Matt Rife in action on Wild ‘N Out here: Matt Rife’s Most Memorable Moments 🔥 Wild ‘N Out.

Rife also appeared in TV series such as Fresh Off the Boat and Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as movies like Just Swipeand Wolf Mountain.

Rife wasn’t as well-known when he acted in these works; however, they did help him become a more friendly face in the entertainment industry. 

His appearances on Wild ‘N Out helped him build connections among the comedy community and began building his fanbase to what it is today.

Rife also has his own comedy specials, including OnlyFans(2021), Walking Red Flag(2023), and Matthew Steven Rife (2023). These have brought him success as well, inviting new viewers to explore more of his work while also bringing back loyal fans.

Matt Rife: OnlyFans has done especially well since its name is very subjective. Rife chose the title OnlyFanssince many people would search his name with the title in hopes that he would be on the adult-content platform. 

Rife’s “ProbleMATTic Tour” 

Rife has taken the comedy world by storm and is now on a worldwide, sold-out tour for the remainder of 2023 and through 2024. There are over 100 dates, with many shows in the same city. 

His fans have shown how much they care for him and his jokes through the selling out of this tour. This also continues to demonstrate Rife’s popularity and impact on the comedy industry.

Comedians’ Popularity Through TikTok

Matt Rife is not the first comedian to gain popularity through social media (notably TikTok).

According to Jimbo Jax, a journalist for “The Things,” comedians such as Steve Hofstetter, Jourdain Fisher, Max Zavido and Armando Torres have all gained followers and fans through the social media platform. 

Jax wrote, “TikTok is fast becoming the go-to social media app for anyone in show business. While YouTube and Twitter are still incredibly popular apps for content creation, TikTok offers stand-up comedians a different means of sharing pieces of their material.”

TikTok is one of the biggest social media outlets available to the entertainment industry today and makes it very convenient for entertainers and influencers to post and market themselves.

Jax continues, “With TikTok, not only can a comic advertise their tours, they can do so while sharing clips of their best routines, something they can do on Twitter but not as effectively since Twitter is more dependent on text than on video.”

TikTok also allows its viewers to take a short break from the real world and get a taste of the comedians’ work. 

Instead of searching endlessly on YouTube or other streaming platforms in hopes of finding a comedy special that just might pique their interest, the viewer can quickly go on TikTok and enjoy different bits of these comedians.

We can’t forget to mention that Jason Banks, who has 9 million followers on TikTok, appeared on the cover of the TikTok edition of SlapStik Comedy Magazine.

In Conclusion… 

Whether Matt Rife is only popular because of his good looks or if he has real comedic talent is up for debate among comedian fans. One thing’s for sure – Rife is America’s current comedic “heartthrob” and will continue to have women thirsting over him for years to come.

Would you throw your bra on stage for a chance to talk to Matt Rife? Be honest, because some fans have.

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