A recent e.l.f. Cosmetics ad featuring Matt Rife has sparked controversy online due to the comedian’s contentious past.
In the beauty brand’s new commercial, Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet star as attorneys responsible for protecting consumers from the “beauty injustice” of overpriced makeup. Following the ad’s Aug. 11 release, fans have a lot to say about e.l.f.’s decision to select Rife for the campaign.
The stand-up comedian’s appearance in the ad drew backlash from critics who cited his previous comments about domestic violence.
Why are people talking about the ad and how did e.l.f. Cosmetics respond? Here’s what you need to know.
What does the e.l.f. Cosmetics ad depict?
In the campaign, Rife and Heidi N Closet star as two lawyers at “The Law Offices of e.l.f.ino & Schmarnes” defending consumers from expensive cosmetic projects.
The ad, which promotes the brand’s best sellers, is a humorous take on typical lawyer advertisements, and seems to parody old commercials from law firm Cellino & Barnes.
The pair, dressed in suits as they pose in an office, tells viewers that as “affordable beauty attorneys,” they are ready to win their overpriced makeup case.
The duo also asks viewers to call “1-855-COLD-HARD-LASH,” a play on the long phone numbers given during law advertisements.
“E.l.f.ino & Schmarnes has gone to e.l.f. court for millions of clients, helping them to access beauty products they deserve at prices that won’t injure their livelihoods,” Rife says in the ad.
“I know a thing or two about red flags. And pricey makeup? You deserve better than that,” he continues.
Why is Matt Rife’s feature in the ad sparking controversy?
The e.l.f. Cosmetics campaign caused chatter among viewers due to some “red flags” fans have pointed out in the comedian’s past.
In November 2023, the star made headlines after he joked about domestic violence during his Netflix comedy special “Natural Selection.”
At the start of the show, Rife joked about seeing a hostess with a black eye at a restaurant in Baltimore.
“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, ya know?’” Rife said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.’”
After he shared the joke, Rife told the audience that he was “just testing the waters, seeing if y’all are going to be fun or not.”
“I figure if we start the show with domestic violence the rest of the show should be smooth sailing,” he continued.
Many of Rife’s followers found the comments insensitive and offensive. A clip of the joke received over six-million views on TikTok, with viewers sharing their thoughts in the comments section.
“Someone let this guy up on stage, filmed it, and it got approved to be put on Netflix?” one user said.
“Got the heebie jeebies ab this man so quickly and I’ve been continuously proved right ever since,” another added.
The joke also drew the attention of YouTuber Hank Green, who posted about it on X.
“A comedian ruining his relationship with a large portion of his fanbase because he wanted to be like all of the other boring-a– Netflix Special ‘You Cant Tell Jokes Anymore’ crowd is actually just depressing,” Green said.
In response to the backlash, Rife shared an Instagram story with a link that he said was his “official apology,” NBC News reported. However, he linked to a health website that sold special needs helmets.
In an interview with Variety at the time, Rife seemingly defended the jokes he made during the special. Rife shared that “Natural Selection” was designed to cater to a male audience, as he wanted to show people he doesn’t “pander his career to women.”
Less than two years later, Rife’s feature in the e.l.f. campaign has critics questioning the brand’s decision to platform the comedian.
“Out of all the people in the world…” one user commented on the brand’s Instagram post of the campaign.
“I truly can’t believe that not 1 person at ELF did not say…”We should not partner with a man who makes jokes about domestic violence,” added another.
“As a survivor….you all should be ashamed of yourselves. He’s not even in your demographic nor is he using your products. You can take your increasing prices and short sightedness somewhere else. I’ll never buy from you again,” a third critic said.
Has e.l.f. Cosmetics spoken out about the backlash?
On Aug. 13, e.l.f. Cosmetics posted a statement on Instagram regarding the campaign.
“You know us, we’re always listening and we’ve heard you,” the brand wrote.
“This campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty injustice. We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. community,” the statement continued.
For some, the apology missed the mark.
“I’m sorry but this is a non apology? What exactly is e.l.f. going to do other than say you missed the mark? Now would be a good time to donate to & highlight organization that support dv survivors,” one user commented on the post.
“I’m failing to understand how I know yall you did your research on Matt Rife and still said yeah that’s our guy…” added another.
In an Aug. 14 interview with The Business of Beauty, e.l.f. Beauty’s Global Chief of Marketing Officer Kory Marchisotto addressed the brand’s decision to feature Rife in the campaign.
Marchisotto said that e.l.f. selected Rife because his TikTok audience is largely female and under the age of 34, the brand’s “sweet spot.”
Marchisotto said the backlash was a surprise to the brand.
“Obviously we’re very surprised,” Marchisotto told the outlet. “There is a big gap between our intention and how this missed the mark for some people … We always aim to deliver positivity, and this one didn’t. So we find ourselves in a position where, quite honestly, that doesn’t feel good for us.”
