Comedian Matt Rife finds himself at the center of yet another storm, this time over a comment allegedly directed at a 6-year-old. The backlash against Rife began to brew following the release of his Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” in November.
Rife, renowned for his predominantly female fanbase, wasted no time stirring controversy from the get-go. He dove into edgy humor, touching on domestic violence, and didn’t stop there; he took aim at women with specific interests such as astrology and crystals. His remarks on astrology set off sparks: “I am so tired of you ladies blaming your poor decision-making skills on planets that don’t even know you. Get this through your head: Astrology is not some magical life guideline that predetermines your future in the stars. Your future is shaped by your own thoughts, opinions, and actions. You are in complete control of your destiny.”
He went further, saying, “It has nothing to do with the stars, folks. Just because Jupiter has a ring and you don’t doesn’t mean you should be seeking magical advice from celestial bodies,” drawing laughter from the audience. As a clip of his astrology bit started circulating on social media, people began tagging a popular TikToker named Bunny Hedaya, who happens to have a 6-year-old son with a keen interest in space.
In response to the numerous tags, Bunny decided to confront the situation by creating a video that stitched together the clip of Matt’s comedy routine with her son’s reaction.
In the video, shared on both her Instagram and TikTok accounts, her son politely corrected Matt, stating, “Actually, it’s Saturn that has the rings. It has more visible ones, too.” He then added, “And, you’re mean to girls,” apparently in response to Rife’s domestic violence jokes. Bunny emphasized that the video was meant to be “lighthearted,” but it seems Matt didn’t quite grasp the intention.
According to Bunny, Matt left a comment on her son’s Instagram account that read, “Jupiter also has [a] ring. OH!… and Santa [Claus] isn’t real. Your mom buys you presents with the money she makes on OnlyFans. Good luck.” Bunny swiftly clarified that she doesn’t engage in explicit content online and suggested that Matt’s comments reflected an unwillingness to accept that women can be appreciated for their personalities, hinting at a deeper issue.
This latest episode adds more fuel to the ongoing debate sparked by Rife’s Netflix special, which had already been criticized for its controversial content. It underscores the influence of social media in enabling individuals to hold public figures accountable, even when the comments are aimed at a 6-year-old. As this controversy continues to unfold, it raises questions about the responsibility of comedians and public figures to weigh the potential impact of their words on various audiences, including children.
