The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
e.l.f. cast a comedian known for a domestic violence joke — in a beauty ad
e.l.f. Beauty cast Matt Rife, whose Netflix special opened with a domestic violence joke. The female audience noticed. Campaign killed in 4 days.
e.l.f. Beauty
What happened
On August 11, 2025, e.l.f. Beauty launched 'Law Offices of e.l.f.ino & Schmarnes' — a parody of 1990s lawyer commercials starring comedian Matt Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet as 'affordable beauty attorneys.' The tagline was '1-855-COLD-HARD-LASH.'
The problem was Matt Rife. In his November 2023 Netflix special 'Natural Selection,' Rife opened with a domestic violence joke about a female server with a black eye: 'if she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye.' He followed it with a fake apology linking to a site selling special-needs helmets. He had publicly stated his comedy was 'more for guys' — alienating the female fanbase that built his career.
e.l.f.'s audience — predominantly young women — immediately called out the contradiction. Beauty creators including James Welsh, Katie Raymond, and NikkieTutorials publicly rescinded support. Customers posted videos throwing out e.l.f. products. On August 15, CMO Kory Marchisotto said the brand was 'surprised' by the reception and chose Rife for his TikTok audience. The campaign was killed the same day.
Why it happened
- The comedian's history was the contradiction: a brand built on female empowerment cast a comedian whose most famous bit is a domestic violence joke — the audience saw the gap instantly.
- The TikTok metric was the filter: choosing Rife for his engagement numbers ignored what his engagement was about — a metrics-driven casting process that measured reach and vetted nothing.
- The 'surprised' response was the failure: a brand built on inclusivity being 'surprised' by backlash is either dishonest about its process or ignorant of its own audience.
- The 4-day lifespan was the proof: killing the campaign within days confirmed the casting was indefensible — no amount of PR could reconcile Rife with e.l.f.'s stated values.
The lesson
A beauty brand whose audience is women cannot cast a comedian whose signature joke is about beating women — no matter how many TikTok followers he has. Reach without vetting is a liability.
Sources
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