Here’s the thing about viral comedian Matt Rife.

There’s a chance the 29-year-old controversial comedian has popped up on your FYP over the last year or so and you’ve been wondering who this polarizing guy with the defined jawline is?

Although his comedy went viral, it didn’t come without backlash. Matt has come under fire for his extremely offensive jokes in his stand-up performances and comedy specials, which have included mocking women and other appearances.

However, his fandom still consists mostly of women and he is ridiculed for his looks. Imagine that.

In his memoirs Your mother will love meMatt discussed rumors that he had plastic surgery, some accusations that surprisingly came from real doctors.

For context, here’s Matt as the actor of Wild ‘N Out (2015–17).

Here’s Matt on his 2023 Netflix special Natural selection.

Here are the photos side by side:

In his memoir, Matt said: “Over a few months I went from looking like a 13-year-old to looking like, you know, my actual age. Like a really grown man,” says a book excerpt obtained from People.

“My face became wider, my facial features became more prominent, I became a few centimeters taller.”

According to the memoir excerpts, Matt explained that his “bizarrely stunted journey through adolescence” led to “a million and one internet conspiracies about all these elaborate plastic surgeries that I somehow had the time and money to undergo.”

Even real doctors and surgeons have made alleged claims about Matt’s appearance. As plastic surgeon TikToker @manyfacesofchicago, Dr. Benjamin Caughlin MD, FACS, posted a video in which he suggested he had created the “biggest jaw ever” for a “canceled” celebrity, the internet assumed he was talking about Matt – including Matt .

@manyfacesofchicago / tiktok.com

As the video went viral, Matt commented on the post: “Lying about medical history is illegal, just FYI.”

In his memoir, Matt recalls this moment again and writes: “Sure – if you’re a real doctor who actually announces a guaranteed diagnosis on Tik-Tok about a guy you’ve never met before, let alone treated, How the hell. “Don’t you lose your driver’s license?”

The comedian has acknowledged criticism of his appearance for describing himself as “handsome,” which he puts it in the book: “If anything, being a comedian made things even more difficult.”

Matt’s conversation about the plastic surgery rumors is interesting considering his brand of comedy is based on controversial interpretations of people’s appearance. While the negativity Matt faces is unwarranted, it does raise the question of whether his viral jokes encourage an online environment that even the comedian has fallen victim to.

As a humorist, I can sometimes respect the use of comedy to tell uncomfortable stories, but let’s face it: Matt’s particular style is pretty breakneck, and he needs to take a closer look in the mirror and reconsider the role he plays in giving people, whether professionals or not, the courage to criticize a person’s appearance for the sake of virality.

Your mother will love me is out now and I look forward to learning more about the man behind the shocking comedy and prominent chin, perhaps to see what role his rhetoric plays in his own downfall. I’ll keep you updated.