Commentary: Matt Rife Delivers A Contrary Message To Bo Burnham

Matt Rife has a very interesting relationship with social media. In a very short time frame, he went from being a struggling comedian looking to book every show he possibly could to a nearly household name, and it’s not hard for one to credit that rise entirely to social media. Clips of his stand-up routine spread around the algorithms like wildfire. His popularity rose until he inevitably earned his own Netflix special, Natural Selection. During the show, he spends the final portion of his act talking explicitly about social media and his relationship with it, including several interactions he had on various platforms. And the outlook he portrays runs in direct contradiction to another star who rose to prominence using social media: Bo Burnham.

Rife starts a bit by complaining about social media and the toxic nature of the platforms. He acknowledges the irony in that given how essential social media was to his rise to fame. After detailing a story about how he didn’t want to place his bag under the seat in front of him on an airline, Rife talks about how he went on social media to relay the incident, which was met with strict backlash. Rife acknowledges that he isn’t one to back down and detailed several unpleasant back-and-forth interactions. This bit eventually culminated in Rife’s final point, which is that people have a right to share their art online. In Rife’s case, it’s his comedy, and he will not limit his artistic expression because of how people react to it.

Overall, this special had several hilarious moments that push the envelope, which any fan of Rife would acknowledge. But this ending failed to stick the landing. At first, Rife complains about how social media brings out the worst in people, and this leads right into a story detailing his own toxic behavior on social media. He then justifies this behavior through artistic expression, but this conflicts with sentiments Burnham has expressed in his own stand-up work. In his Netflix special, Make Happy, just before his final song, Burnham speaks very poignantly to the audience about fame and social media. He talks about how the lines between social media and art can become incredibly blurry. But he also implores people to establish those boundaries and keep them firm. For some, social media may be art. But for others, it’s real life and a reflection of the world. Mixing the two together is a dangerous combination that can have terrible ramifications both on an individual’s mental health and society as a whole. Although Rife initially bemoans social media in his stand-up, he does not provide a meaningful example for how to counteract its effects, which is something Burnham succeeds at.

Natural Selection and Make Happy are now streaming on Netflix.