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Matt Rife: Only Fans (2022)

Is Matt Rife funny? He must be – he’s always laughing at his own jokes.

Rife’s visibility has been rising lately thanks to video shorts on Instagram Reels that show him as a smart-ass frat boy interacting with his comedy club audiences on issues relating to sex and race. Last year, Rife raised his profile higher with this self-produced comedy special that he dropped on YouTube for free.

Rife starts this hour-long routine with the mock-warning “Get ready to be offended,” only to give the viewer an hour-long offering where absolutely nothing is offensive. He skims over touchy subjects such as woke politics and class envy, but his humor is so safe that the viewer can’t help but consult the nearest clock to wonder when this not-very-special special is nearing its closing.

Typical of Rife’s alleged humor is his recollection of growing up in a small-town rural Ohio environment where the rich kids had farmland. “You don’t need eight inches if you have eight acres,” he declares, chuckling at his barely naughty joke.

Rife also calls attention to his appearance, declaring, “I’m good looking. This isn’t good for comedy.” Actually, what isn’t good for comedy is failing to elicit genuine laughs over the course of an hour. Maybe Rife’s physical appearance will spark a following with tween girls and jaded middle-aged men, but anyone in search of laugh-until-it-hurts humor is advised to look elsewhere.