Matt Rife Rejects Gary Owen Label, Seeks Broader Appeal

Matt Rife Rejects Gary Owen Label, Seeks Broader Appeal

In a candid discussion on Club Shay Shay, popular comedian Matt Rife addressed the frequent comparisons to fellow comic Gary Owen, emphasizing his desire to avoid being pigeonholed into a specific demographic. Rife, who has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, expressed deep respect for Owen but articulated a strategic difference in their career paths.

Respect for a ‘Legend’

Rife did not hold back in his praise for Owen, stating, “Gary Owen is a legend. Like that dude murders. Like no, there’s very few comedians that I that I would not want to follow. Gary’s one of them, man.” However, he quickly pivoted to the perceived audience categorization that has often followed Owen.

“He always has like the the cache of like, he’s a white comic for for for for black audiences only, right? He’s just an urban comic or whatever that means. And I just didn’t want to pigeonhole an audience, you know what I mean? Like I want I want to be for as many people as possible.”

Rife’s ambition is to connect with a universal audience, stating, “Now, whoever finds me finds me. If it’s all black people, amazing. It’s all white people. Amazing. It doesn’t matter to me. Funny. Funny is just funny.” He believes that limiting oneself to a specific audience can inadvertently hinder opportunities within the broader entertainment industry.

Hollywood’s ‘Pigeonhole’ Effect

The comedian elaborated on how this perceived limitation impacts careers, particularly in Hollywood. “It’s so unfortunate that that limits opportunities in Hollywood as well,” Rife explained. “Like Gary was great in was it Think Like a Man. He was so good. But because a lot of Hollywood, the entertainment industry just thinks, ‘Oh, he only has a black audience. I don’t know if white people will go see him.’ Feel like that hinders a lot of his opportunities.”

While acknowledging the possibility of being mistaken, Rife stood by his observation: “And I could be wrong, Gary, if I’m wrong. I apologize. But it’s really what it feels like. I feel like he deserves a lot more.” This realization, he stated, motivated him from a young age to ensure his own career path remained open to all possibilities.

Wild ‘n Out: A Double-Edged Sword

Rife also touched upon his experience on the MTV improv comedy show Wild ‘n Out, where he served as the show’s ‘white guy.’ He described the role as limiting, particularly regarding the type of jokes allowed.

“Yeah, that was my biggest problem with that show. Actually, that show, everyone has their role, right? And my role was the white guy. And if you made any jokes outside of being the white guy, that was like not okay. Like it either fall super flat that nobody wanted it or was just kind of frowned upon, right? Like and at a certain point as a comedian, I want to say other I want to say something kind of clever, something that I actually put some thought into. Something that’s not racially based and that’s all they really wanted after it.”

After three seasons, Rife felt the need to move on. “This takes up so much of my time. I’m not on every episode. It doesn’t pay well. I need to go tour. I need to go be me on stage,” he revealed. The show, while providing exposure, was ultimately seen as a constraint on his comedic voice.

Gratitude for the Opportunity

Despite the limitations, Rife expressed significant gratitude for the platform Wild ‘n Out provided. “But I mean, the exposure from it was amazing. You know, my first season on there, I mean, I I bumped up thousands and thousands of followers. That allowed me to tour for the very first time. So, I’m so thankful for it. It was an amazing institution. It was a great opportunity and opened so many doors for me. So, I’m very thankful for it.” The show was instrumental in launching his touring career and building his initial fanbase.

The conversation highlighted Rife’s strategic approach to his career, prioritizing broad appeal and artistic freedom over niche categorization, while still acknowledging the foundational opportunities that helped launch his journey.

Source: Matt Rife Addresses The Gary Owen Comparisons I CLUB SHAY SHAY (YouTube)