Matt Rife’s upcoming Netflix special, titled Lucid – A Crowd Work Special, is following closely behind his release from last year.
Comedy can be a challenging industry, as what one person may find humorous can differ greatly from another’s perspective. Lately, there has been a trend among artists to stir up controversy, such as Joe Rogan’s 2017-esque jokes in Burn the Boats or Ricky Gervais’ disappointing Armageddon.
Similarly, Rife was also thrust into the spotlight when his Netflix special, Natural Selection, debuted in 2023 and caused a media frenzy.
Despite this, collaborating with Netflix is a guaranteed method to increase your followers.
Matt Rife’s Lucid Release Date and Time
Rife’s highly anticipated stand-up special “Lucid”will be released on Netflix on August 13. While the streamer has not officially announced the timing, viewers can anticipate the usual release time of 12am PT / 3am ET.
If this is true, here is the schedule for when you can view it globally:
- 4am Brazil
- 8am UK
- 9am Central European Summer Time
- 12:30pm India Standard Time
- 5pm Australia
- 7pm New Zealand
What it’s all about
The title itself provides a hint. Netflix’s first-ever comedy special centered on crowd work is Matt Rife: Lucid – A Crowd Work Special.
That implies that Rife and the audience at The Comedy Zone in Charlotte have a full hour of spontaneous interactions as they riff off each other.
Despite the anticipation for the upcoming jokes, it is impossible to predict what they will be. In anticipation of its release, Rife released a trailer in which he mocked cancel culture and the negative response to Natural Selection.
At Netflix HQ, Rob Riggle leads a meeting to discuss the upcoming special of the comic, where he pokes fun at gender identities and misconceptions about Rife.
LUCID – AUGUST. 13th – @netflix pic.twitter.com/hFQlTUtD3u
— Matt Rife (@mattrife) August 6, 2024
Riggle clarifies that his audience consists of an equal split of men and women who all share a love for comedy and are not easily offended.
Matt Rife: A Breakdown of the Controversy
The comedian received criticism for his Netflix special, Natural Selection, in 2023 as a result of a joke he made about domestic violence during the opening of his performance.
During the routine, Rife shared a conversation he had with a friend about a waitress who had a black eye. His friend suggested that she should be hidden away in the kitchen, but Rife joked that if she could cook well, she wouldn’t have that black eye in the first place.
The reception of this sparked significant backlash, as numerous comments on social media deemed it “disrespectful” and “misogynistic.” The nonprofit organization Women’s Aid also publicly addressed the issue on their X/Twitter page, emphasizing that domestic abuse should not be trivialized or joked about.
Domestic abuse is no joke. Conversation about @mattrife shows many people do not understand the severity of domestic abuse, & the impact these “jokes” have on women feeling able to reach out for support. The shocking truth is 3 women a fortnight are killed by their partner or ex. pic.twitter.com/d4e7bvNz01
— Women’s Aid (@womensaid) November 22, 2023
According to conversations surrounding @mattrife, it is evident that a significant number of individuals are unaware of the gravity of domestic abuse and the detrimental effects that “jokes”about it can have on women seeking help. It is alarming to know that three women lose their lives every two weeks due to violence inflicted by their current or former partners.
Upon receiving criticism, Rife took to his Instagram Story to issue a sarcastic apology. He wrote, “For those who have taken offense to any of my jokes, please accept my official apology.” He also included a link labeled “Tap to resolve the issue.”
@samanthafekete
However, when users tapped on it, they were simply directed to a health website where they could purchase special needs helmets. This only served to intensify the criticism at the time.
What’s happened since?
Since Natural Selection, Rife has made frequent appearances in the media, including a controversial incident involving a six-year-old.
Last December, BunnyHedaya, a popular TikToker, asked her six-year-old space-loving son to edit one of Rife’s stand-up clips. In the clip, Rife mentions that Jupiter has a ring. However, the young boy corrected him, saying, “Actually, it’s Saturn that has the rings. It has more visible rings too. And you shouldn’t be mean to girls.”
BunnyHedaya clarified in a subsequent video that she did not tag Rife in the stitch and shared a comment from the comedian that appeared to have been deleted. In the comment, he mentioned that Jupiter also has a ring and jokingly stated that Santa Claus is not real, adding that one’s mother may buy them presents with the money she earns on OnlyFans.
@bunnyhedaya Matt Rife started a fight with the wrong 6 year old. Buckle in. #bunny #bunnyhedaya #mommabear
In her response video, she stated, “Similar to Matt, my online audience consists entirely of females. However, unlike him, I prefer to keep it that way and have no interest in attracting male followers. This all began when his unfunny remarks from his comedy special were shared on TikTok.”
Before this incident, Rife had a disagreement with TikToker and plastic surgeon ManyFacesOfChicago. This disagreement arose after ManyFacesOfChicago uploaded a video in which they made a joke about “creating the most amazing jawline ever seen, only for their patient to be cancelled immediately afterwards.”
Despite not explicitly mentioning any names, the surgeon’s words were interpreted by many followers as referring to Rife.
Despite the ongoing controversies, Rife continues to tour the world with his stand-up sets and remains steadfast in his comedic approach.
During a show in Florida in December, he addressed the audience by saying, “At the beginning of the show, I wanted to make it clear that if anyone is attending a comedy show at a comedy club and may potentially be offended by a joke, we have a designated safe space for you.”
“The exit door is right there…feel free to go and see yourself out. No one will stop you.”
To discover even more up-to-date content, be sure to browse through the latest TV shows coming to streaming platforms this month, as well as the must-see movies to add to your watchlist.
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