“Ricky Stanicky” tried. He really did.
Peter Farrelly’s R-rated romp pitched itself as a return to “Old School” comedies.
No rules. No inhibitions. No woke.
The Prime Video release delivered solid laughs, mostly thanks to John Cena’s hilarious turn as the title character. The film didn’t move the cultural needle, partly because it bowed on a streaming platform. That meant viewers didn’t see it in theaters filled with laughing fans.
That matters.
Enter Matt Rife.
The young, handsome comic couldn’t be hotter in Hollywood. His new crowd-work only Netflix special, “Lucid,” quickly jumped into the platform’s Top 10 list. Deadline.com reports he once “broke” Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift style, showing his ascension in the comedy ranks.
Now, he’s planning to star in “Rolling Loud,” an R-rated comedy. Why might Rife break the cultural lock on inappropriate comedy?
First, he’s incredibly popular which affords him some protection from the woke mob. Here’s why Netflix is so happy to be in the Matt Rife business, according to Deadline.com.
Natural Selection, his debut special for the service. Released last November, that special was the most viewed on Netflix in the second half of 2023, garnering over 10.3 million views in its first two weeks and earning a Top 10 ranking in 42 countries including #1 in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa.
Second, he previously endured a Cancel Culture-style attack and shrugged it off in epic fashion.
The usual suspects cringed over a domestic abuse joke from Rife’s previous Netflix special, “Natural Selection.” His response? He told critics to buy a helmet to protect them from future jokes.
The mob quickly retreated.
Matt Rife during his Netflix Is a Joke show at the Hollywood Bowl: “I got in so much trouble for making a joke about special needs helmets, and then I come to L.A. and perform in the biggest helmet.”
Read more here: https://t.co/KSuP955N7N pic.twitter.com/DHnYrhOZXx
— Variety (@Variety) May 9, 2024
Third, the nation hungers for something wild, unruly and desperately funny. Consider how many rebel comedians are crushing it right now, filling arenas, generating endless YouTube views and shaming social justice warriors.
Why else would “Saturday Night Live” un-cancel Shane Gillis?
The stars may be aligning for both Rife and R-rated comedies. Now, the rising star will have to do the one thing to make it happen.
Deliver big, unapologetic laughs on the big screen.
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