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Fox News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Fierce backlash to Matt Rife ad campaign left makeup company 'very surprised,' admits brand executive
Print Close By Gabriel Hays Published August 19, 2025 One executive for makeup brand e.l.f. is trying to turn down the social media temperature after her company's latest ad sparked outrage among users for starring stand-up comic Matt Rife. In an interview with the outlet "Business of Fashion" (BOF), the beauty brand's chief marketing officer, Kory Marchisotto, spoke about what went wrong with its ad with Rife, explaining that causing outrage was never their intention. "Obviously we're very surprised," she said. "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." TIM ALLEN ADDRESSES THE CURRENT STATE OF COMEDY: 'WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT HERE' "So we find ourselves in a position where, quite honestly, that doesn't feel good for us," Marchisotto added. The cosmetics brand published the ad on major social media platforms last week. The commercial featured Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet as " & Schmarnes," a spoof lawyer duo in a legal commercial fighting for consumers' rights to inexpensive cosmetic products. However, the clip took major heat from online users, including several major beauty and fashion influencers, who were offended that e.l.f. would employ Rife after he joked about domestic abuse during his 2023 stand-up special, "Natural Selection." In the special, the comic told the story of when he and his friend noticed a waitress with a black eye while they were eating at a restaurant in Baltimore. He explained that the two of them questioned why the restaurant owners wouldn't have the employee work in the kitchen to avoid customers asking questions. "Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have a black eye," Rife joked. SYDNEY SWEENEY'S BROTHER MAKES CHEEKY 'GOOD JEANS' JOKE AFTER HIS AIR FORCE PROMOTION When people reacted poorly to the joke at the time, Rife doubled down, putting out a statement that directed social media users to a link offering an "apology" if they had ever been offended by a joke he told. The link brought users to a website where they could purchase special-needs helmets. In response to e.l.f.'s new ad last week, "Nikkietutorials," a cosmetics influencer with almost 9 million followers on TikTok, commented, "aaaaaaandddd you lost me... Matt Rife out of ALL people? so disappointed." Others trashed the video in its comment sections, too. Maddy Lucy Dann, a TikTok user with 1.4 million followers, wrote, "In Matt Rife's Netflix stand-up special Natural Selection he opened with a domestic violence joke, implying a woman wouldn't have a black eye if she could cook." The beauty brand responded to the backlash, putting out a statement last Wednesday acknowledging that working with Rife was a mistake. "You know us, we're always listening and we've heard you. 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," e.l.f. stated. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE During her interview with BOF, Marchisotto explained why e.l.f. went with Rife for the ad campaign. She noted how 80 percent of Rife's TikTok audience is female, with 75 percent under the age of 34 – "right in the sweet spot" of the makeup brand's target audience. The executive added that at the time e.l.f. built its campaign around Rife, he was getting 80 percent positive engagement from his audience, so the brand thought it was a safe bet. "We [are] very much known for operating in real time, that's what it means to be in the cultural zeitgeist. So we're not looking in the rear view mirror when we're operating the real-time marketing machine," she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rife has yet to reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Print Close URL
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Fierce backlash to Matt Rife ad campaign left makeup company 'very surprised' admits brand executive
One executive for makeup brand e.l.f. is trying to turn down the social media temperature after her company's latest ad sparked outrage among users for starring stand-up comic Matt Rife. In an interview with the outlet "Business of Fashion" (BOF), the beauty brand's chief marketing officer, Kory Marchisotto, spoke about what went wrong with its ad with Rife, explaining that causing outrage was never their intention. "Obviously we're very surprised," she said. "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," Marchisotto added. The cosmetics brand published the ad on major social media platforms last week. The commercial featured Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet as " & Schmarnes," a spoof lawyer duo in a legal commercial fighting for consumers' rights to inexpensive cosmetic products. However, the clip took major heat from online users, including several major beauty and fashion influencers, who were offended that e.l.f. would employ Rife after he joked about domestic abuse during his 2023 stand-up special, "Natural Selection." In the special, the comic told the story of when he and his friend noticed a waitress with a black eye while they were eating at a restaurant in Baltimore. He explained that the two of them questioned why the restaurant owners wouldn't have the employee work in the kitchen to avoid customers asking questions. "Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have a black eye," Rife joked. When people reacted poorly to the joke at the time, Rife doubled down, putting out a statement that directed social media users to a link offering an "apology" if they had ever been offended by a joke he told. The link brought users to a website where they could purchase special-needs helmets. In response to e.l.f.'s new ad last week, "Nikkietutorials," a cosmetics influencer with almost 9 million followers on TikTok, commented, "aaaaaaandddd you lost me... Matt Rife out of ALL people? so disappointed." Others trashed the video in its comment sections, too. Maddy Lucy Dann, a TikTok user with 1.4 million followers, wrote, "In Matt Rife's Netflix stand-up special Natural Selection he opened with a domestic violence joke, implying a woman wouldn't have a black eye if she could cook." The beauty brand responded to the backlash, putting out a statement last Wednesday acknowledging that working with Rife was a mistake. "You know us, we're always listening and we've heard you. 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," e.l.f. stated. During her interview with BOF, Marchisotto explained why e.l.f. went with Rife for the ad campaign. She noted how 80 percent of Rife's TikTok audience is female, with 75 percent under the age of 34 – "right in the sweet spot" of the makeup brand's target audience. The executive added that at the time e.l.f. built its campaign around Rife, he was getting 80 percent positive engagement from his audience, so the brand thought it was a safe bet. "We [are] very much known for operating in real time, that's what it means to be in the cultural zeitgeist. So we're not looking in the rear view mirror when we're operating the real-time marketing machine," she said. Rife has yet to reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Fringe Review: The Birds moving, funny, slightly weird
Article content Stage 1, Westbury Theatre, 10330 84 Ave. Article content Talented Edmonton dancers Krista Lin and Anastasia Maywood have a very clever idea here in deciding to inhabit the often-goofy remnants of Earth's once-mighty dinosaur domineers. While beautiful and seriously fascinating, birds skew a bit weird by human standards in their expansive diversity (think penguins or horny birds of paradise twitching about their little constructs). Article content Article content So almost the only negative thing to say about this choreographed, music-cue-heavy clown performance is that it drags a little, though not enough to call it The Boreds or anything. David Attenborough parodies are a little tired, too, and if I hear Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy one more time at a Fringe play… Article content Article content That goose hissing out of the way, this series of skits starts with a pair of amateur birdwatchers excited to see utterly common local birds (blue jay, goldfinch, etc.) until the lights come up and they start finding wilder examples amid the audience. Article content 'Any more bald heads in here? No? That's pretty rare,' the two back-and-forth, leading into the buffet's next-level-in framing devices, including the birth and courtship cycle of our rarish albino magpies, demonstrated with accomplished (if inaccurate, haha) body movement and various clever and indeed funny sheddings of body suit layers. Article content Article content The bad puns in the game show Natural Selection made this feel more like a kids' play with cursing, and while the fashion show went on a bit (enter I'm Too Sexy), I did laugh pretty hard at the sharp transition from a Versace flamingo to a Joe Fresh seagull. Article content Article content Other music cues shone, like the Get Your Freak On club scene after the two birds squawked 'getting ready!' then 'sex!' resulting in Maywood's bird dropping huge exercise ball eggs with Lin hilariously failing to ninja them in unseen. Article content
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Fringe Review: The Birds moving, funny, slightly weird
Article content Stage 1, Westbury Theatre, 10330 84 Ave. Article content Talented Edmonton dancers Krista Lin and Anastasia Maywood have a very clever idea here in deciding to inhabit the often-goofy remnants of Earth's once-mighty dinosaur domineers. While beautiful and seriously fascinating, birds skew a bit weird by human standards in their expansive diversity (think penguins or horny birds of paradise twitching about their little constructs). Article content Article content Article content That goose hissing out of the way, this series of skits starts with a pair of amateur birdwatchers excited to see utterly common local birds (blue jay, goldfinch, etc.) until the lights come up and they start finding wilder examples amid the audience. Article content 'Any more bald heads in here? No? That's pretty rare,' the two back-and-forth, leading into the buffet's next-level-in framing devices, including the birth and courtship cycle of our rarish albino magpies, demonstrated with accomplished (if inaccurate, haha) body movement and various clever and indeed funny sheddings of body suit layers. Article content Article content The bad puns in the game show Natural Selection made this feel more like a kids' play with cursing, and while the fashion show went on a bit (enter I'm Too Sexy), I did laugh pretty hard at the sharp transition from a Versace flamingo to a Joe Fresh seagull. Article content Article content Other music cues shone, like the Get Your Freak On club scene after the two birds squawked 'getting ready!' then 'sex!' resulting in Maywood's bird dropping huge exercise ball eggs with Lin hilariously failing to ninja them in unseen. Article content
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
E.L.F. Cosmetics 'overpriced beauty' ad controversy explained as fans boycott viral brand
e.l.f. Cosmetics have faced backlash over their new ad campaign, which stars controversial comedian Matt Rife as fans threaten to boycott the beauty brand in retaliation E.L.F. Cosmetics has responded to criticism over its latest advert featuring the contentious comedian Matt Rife. The beauty brand is still dealing with backlash from their campaign, leading many people to boycott their products. The ad, titled and schmarnes: Affordable Beauty Attorneys, stars Matt Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet. In the promotional video, the duo play two solicitors advocating for more affordable makeup products. Following the ad's debut, numerous individuals took to YouTube to voice their anger over Matt being the face of it, given his past jokes about domestic violence. This controversy comes after Matt raised eyebrows by purchasing the infamous Connecticut property of Ed and Lorraine Warren, home to the haunted Annabelle Doll. It comes as the murky history of the doll, now in Matt's possession, was revealed. The cosmetics company released a statement admitting they had made an error with the campaign, stating: "You know us, we're always listening and we've heard you. This campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty justice. We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. Community. While and schmarnes closes today, we'll continue to make the case against overpriced beauty." For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Matt and Heidi N Closet portraying barristers dubbed "affordable beauties" nods to the former New York personal-injury law firm Cellino and Barnes - who sought to protect their clients from "overpriced makeup products." Rife states in the advert: "I know a thing or two about red flags. And pricey makeup? You deserve better than that." Critics slammed the decision to feature the comedian on social media - arguing he wasn't appropriate given he cracked a joke about domestic violence in his 2023 Netflix special, Natural Selection where he said: "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.'" One individual remarked on the brand's Instagram post regarding the advert, "Oooooh. Matt Rife? The guy who jokes about DV? In an ad targeted to women? That's, um. A choice." Despite issuing their statement, the campaign and its promotional images remain live on its social media channels. Soon after E.l.f. published their statement, the company's Global Chief of Marketing Officer Kory Marchisotto also tackled the backlash. He told The Business of Beauty they were "very surprised" to see the online backlash, adding: "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." Calls to boycott the brand have taken off on several social media platforms, with beauty influencers, including those who have previously partnered with e.l.f., leading the charge. Some even posted videos of themselves throwing out their e.l.f. products.
