Planet Bosa
Hulu · 2025 · 57 min
A highly relaxed hour about bad cars and worse tempers.
Ralph Barbosa walks on stage with the casual ease of a guy who just wandered into the wrong room, only to immediately tell the crowd he is single because he cheated. It is a bold, slightly cheeky way to open a set, but his slow Texas drawl keeps the room on his side. He spends the hour treating the Balboa Theatre stage like a low-stakes hangout, turning potentially heavy subjects, like dating undocumented women as a US-born Latino or Texas banning Pornhub, into quiet, conversational shrugs.
Filmed in San Diego, California, and directed by Jeff Tomsic, the 2025 special arrived as part of Hulu’s Hularious lineup. It marked Barbosa’s second hour-long release, following his breakout 2023 Netflix debut, Cowabunga. While his rapid ascent and relaxed style earned him a spot on Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch list, Planet Bosa caught him in a transitional career phase. He works through routines about his side gig fixing junker cars and his struggles with temper control, occasionally pausing to reassure the audience of his moderate political views. The hour showcases his signature low-key charisma, even if some critics noted that the writing felt slightly more hurried than his debut.
The set list
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Dating undocumented immigrants
Barbosa riffs on dating undocumented women as an American-born Latino, covering bedroom noises around family by faking snoring, and feeling 'a little Republican-y' when teased for being born in the U.S.
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Texas SB4 and police suspicion
Muses on Texas Senate Bill 4 allowing police to check immigration status on suspicion, joking that 80 percent of the room looks suspicious and he now avoids salsa on his tacos to fit in.
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Texas banning Pornhub access
Declares that while he considers himself pro-choice, Texas banning Pornhub felt like the state was 'messing with my body,' though shame prevents him from contacting politicians like Ted Cruz about it.
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Fast food altercation and punching style
Recalls wanting to fight over a 25-cent charge for Buffalo sauce at McDonald's, noting his sub-5'7" frame and describing his ineffective punching form using video game comparisons.
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Police encounters and need for validation
Expresses a fear of law enforcement while noting that being arrested would go much better if the police officer gave him compliments during the encounter.
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Appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience
Reflects on being invited onto Joe Rogan's podcast without anything substantive to talk about, contrasting his quiet episode against a fighter pilot disclosing government secrets.
How it plays
- Tone
- Cheeky, casual, self-deprecating, and adult-oriented.
- On stage
- Laid-back, casually charming, personable, and self-described as one of the shyest attention hogs in comedy.
- Pace
- Chilled, relaxed tempo with slow setups, casual pacing, and occasional pauses.
- About
- dating disasters and relationships, anger management and controlling temper, working on cars, immigration and Latino identity, Texas politics and current events
What the critics said
Critics highlighted Barbosa's natural charm and chill presence, but noted that the special lacked the tight punchlines, defined perspective, and polished storytelling of his debut.
In the room: Viewers appreciated his relaxed delivery and likability, though many noted the pacing felt unpolished with loose punchlines and awkward pauses.
Backstory
Taped as the 10th original special under Hulu's 'Hularious' banner, touching on his Texas background, state laws (SB4 and the porn ban), dating life, and navigating his perspective on immigration as an American-born Latino.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- Balboa Theatre, San Diego
- Runtime
- 57 min
- Where
- Hulu
- Director
- Jeff Tomsic
- Topics
- Before
- Cowabunga (2023)
More from Ralph Barbosa
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Cowabunga
Netflix
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