Archives for December 2023

Matt Rife maintains fierce stance on ‘offensive’ joke in Netflix special as he boasts about huge achievement after viewer backlash Matt Rife has remained steadfast about a domestic violence joke in his recently-released Netflix special, taking to Twitter to brag about its popularity. A joke told by the Ohio-born comedian at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC, was labelled as sexist and to be making light of domestic violence by critics. Rife is seemingly unfazed by the backlash, boasting his special Natural Selection was number two on US Netflix. Alongside a screenshot of his comedy special on the charts, he penned: ‘Rack ’em up baby! Let’s goooooooo.’ The comedian recently hit back at criticism regarding the jibe. He wrote on his Instagram story: ‘If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology,’ linking to a website that sells helmets for people with certain disabilities. Slammed: Matt Rife has remained steadfast about a domestic violence joke in his recently-released Netflix special, taking to Twitter to brag about its popularity Boasting: The comedian maintained his fierce stance on the controversial joke, bragging on Twitter about his special ranking second on US Netflix Doubling down: ‘If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told, here’s a link to my official apology,’ Rife, 28, said in an Instagram Stories post Rife kicked off the controversial joke with a comparison between the American capital and it’s largest nearest city – Baltimore. ‘I’ve only been to Baltimore one time, and the hostess who seats you had a black eye – a full black eye.’ Rife, who gained exposure on TikTok, said in the special. ‘It wasn’t like, “What happened?” It was pretty obvious what happened. ‘But we couldn’t get over, like, this is the face of the company? This is who you have greeting people?’ Rife’s story continued: ‘And my boy, who I was with, was like, “Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face.”‘ ‘And I was like, “Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”‘ Amid pushback from members of the crowd, he acknowledged the strong subject matter he covered in his material, then segued into another routine. ‘Testing the water, seeing if y’all are going to be fun or not,’ Rife said. ‘I figured we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be pretty smooth sailing. ‘Of course I felt bad for her. She should have had her protection crystals, you know what I mean?’ Rife’s joke drew a number of critics on Twitter, many of whom said they were satisfied to see the TikTok sensation in hot water. Backlash: To kick off his set in the special, which was filmed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC , Rife told a joke critics said was sexist and made light of domestic violence Not so funny: The Columbus, Ohio-born comedian did a bit about the contrast between the nation’s capital and its biggest nearby neighbouring city in Baltimore Furious: Rife’s joke drew a number of critics on Twitter, many of whom said they were satisfied to see the TikTok sensation in hot water Shocked: One user commented on Rife’s response, saying, ‘BIG YIKES’ Defence: Another person said they were surprised at the joke Rife told after thinking it had been an ‘overblown’ controversy One user said: ‘Matt Rife opens his special with a “if a woman could cook she wouldn’t have a black eye” joke. Really? This is your god?’ Another said, ‘The way women catapulted matt rife into popularity and the second he gets a comedy special on Netflix he immediately betrays them with a joke about domestic violence … crazy innit.’ Said one user: ‘Matt Rife: my special is for guys… Immediately opens up with a domestic violence joke.’ One user posted a meme of Stephen Colbert eating popcorn with 3D glasses on, with the caption, ‘Me witnessing the downfall of Matt Rife after saying from Day 1 that he gives off ‘president of the frat that women warn other women about’ vibes.’ Another person said they were surprised at the joke Rife told after thinking it had been an ‘overblown’ controversy. ‘My TikTok fyp has been a tonne of people complaining about the Matt Rife domestic violence joke, and to be honest because of the way my fyp is I kinda assumed it was being overblown,’ the user said. ‘When I finally saw the actual “joke” though… I have to apologise, y’all were so correct.’ One user commented on Rife’s response, saying, ‘BIG YIKES.’ Rife last week spoke with Variety in a Q&A in which he said he doesn’t ‘really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumour in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore,’ calling the notion ‘bulls***.’ Won’t back down: Rife last week said he doesn’t ‘really adhere to this whole sensitivity rumour in the comedy world that you can’t say anything anymore,’ calling the notion ‘bulls***’ He added: ‘You can say whatever you want. Now, you have to prepare for repercussions. ‘But at the end of the day, it all comes down to how do you sleep at night. You know what I mean? Other people’s perspective of you isn’t your responsibility.’ Rife said that he goes onstage with the intention of ‘making people laugh’ and isn’t afraid on delving into topics that could be considered ‘dark humor.’ Said Rife: ‘I don’t believe there’s anything you can’t talk about if you do it correctly, in the right way, at the right time. ‘You have to be yourself and not worry about offending a certain amount of people. You might miss out on a joke that you’re worried might offend somebody, but might make you a million new fans.’

New Jersey’s funny traffic signs are back this holiday season MOORESTOWN, NJ – If you ever drive in New Jersey, you might’ve seen a few signs that have been popping up along major roadways featuring a play on words to remind drivers to obey the rules of the road. Similar signs were taken down by the Federal Highway Administration this time last year after it said the signs were too distracting. This year, some of the signs read: “Reckless drivers are worse than fruitcake” or “only Rudolph should be lit.” They’re certainly catching people’s attention. “They are appropriate to the season, and they are cute, and they remind people don’t be a Grinch!” said Nataliece Moore. Ultimately, drivers say it’s a helpful reminder during the busy holiday season. “It gets your attention. It makes you think about it, rather than just stating the obvious,” said Mike Matakonis. Local officials say they’re meant to pack a punch while delivering an important message. It was November of last year when the Federal Highway Administration said they were too distracting- and ruled to have them taken down. This year, the Department of Transportation says they’re toning it back. “We are being mindful of the kinds of messages we put up – that they’re not too edgy or what they consider distracting.” said NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, “I think we see some of our neighboring states still putting the signs up, and I feel like if we stay within those same parameters, then I think we are in a good place.” The FHWA issued the following statement in response to the resurrected signs: “The safety of all road users is the priority. The Federal Highway Administration supports the use of changeable message signs, which are operated by state transportation departments, in conjunction with traffic safety campaigns. The nature of the specific messaging displayed on the sign is governed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), which sets the standards for traffic signs, signals, and markings. The MUTCD applies to all roads open to public travel in the U.S. FHWA will soon issue an updated version of the MUTCD.”

Rohit Sharma’s daughter’s ‘he’ll laugh again’ video resurfaces after World Cup loss An old video of Rohit Sharma’s daughter giving an update about her father has resurfaced on social media after India’s World Cup final loss. Listen to Story A video of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s daughter Samaira, sharing an update about her father to the paparazzi and reporters has once again gone viral. The video is a year old and has resurfaced on the internet after India’s World Cup loss. India’s journey in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 came to an unexpected end when they faced a six-wicket defeat against Australia in the final match in Ahmedabad. The Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, had been on a remarkable winning streak with 10 consecutive victories leading up to the final. The nation’s hopes were high for clinching their third ODI World Cup title, but despite the anticipation and support, the dream was not realised. In the video, Samaira can be seen speaking about her father with innocence and optimism. “He is in a room, he is almost positive and within one month he will laugh again,” Samaira said in the clip. You can also spot Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh in the video. Watch the video here: The video has once again managed to warm the cockles of the internet’s heart. Australia clinched their sixth Cricket World Cup title by defeating India in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19. The Australian team, led by Pat Cummins, made a strategic decision to bowl first after winning the toss. This move proved successful as they restricted India to a modest score of 240 runs. Travis Head, who had recovered from a hand injury just in time for the tournament, was the star of the match, scoring an impressive 137 runs and taking a crucial catch to dismiss Indian captain Rohit Sharma. Despite early setbacks in their chase, Australia’s batting lineup, particularly the partnership between Head and Marnus Labuschagne, guided them to a comfortable six-wicket victory. Virat Kohli was named the player of the series, but it was Australia’s day as they celebrated a historic win in front of a massive crowd.