E.LF. Cosmetics has issued an apology to fans after it was criticized for including controversial comedian Matt Rife in an advertisement.
The 29-year-old actor has previously sparked controversy for his jokes, including one he made in 2023 about domestic violence, which was labeled “sexist” and “disrespectful.”
The newest E.L.F. commercial begins with Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet asking if “over-priced beauty” products have hurt people’s wallets. Rife then introduced E.L.F.ino & Schmarnes, a fake firm where he and the drag queen protect customers from overpriced makeup products.
“I know a thing or two about red flags,” he said, while wearing a suit and tie. “And pricy makeup? You deserve better than that.”
Many commenters on social media criticized Rife’s appearance in the ad, citing the domestic violence joke as proof he should not have been chosen for the campaign.
“You didn’t have the budget for a comedian who doesn’t joke about abuse?” one person wrote, while another added: “Out of all the people in the world…”
“Oooooh. Matt Rife? The guy who jokes about DV? In an ad targeted to women? That’s, um. A choice,” a third wrote.
A fourth agreed: “I truly can't believe that not one person at ELF did not say…’We should not partner with a man who makes jokes about domestic violence.’”
On Wednesday, E.LF. issued an apology on social media, while also clarifying the intentions of the campaign.
“You know us, we’re always listening and we’ve heard you,” the company wrote in a statement. “This campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty injustice. We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.lf. community. While e.l.f.ino & Schmarnes closes today, we’ll continue to make the case against overpriced beauty.”
However, multiple people in the comments of the apology on Instagram are still urging E.LF. to take the advertisement with Rife down.
In 2023, Rife began his Netflix special, Natural Selection, with an anecdote about a waitress with a black eye, which provoked major backlash.
“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,’” Rife joked.
Rife later responded to the controversy on his Instagram Story by aiming the post towards those offended by the joke. “Tap to solve your issue,” read a URL link, which directed his followers to a website selling helmets for people with special needs.
In an interview with The New Yorker in April 2024, he addressed the criticism over the joke, explaining that comedy could be used as a way “to heal.”
“Whether it’s depression or a physical disability, not everyone wants to be seen as a victim,” he said, claiming that hundreds of victims of domestic violence had reached out to support him in the aftermath of his joke controversy.
“They also want to laugh at themselves,” he continued. “Sometimes people need to laugh to heal through the things that make them uncomfortable.”
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