Review: Ralph Barbosa's "Planet Bosa" Showcases the Comedians Laid-Back Charm While Not Always Landing the Punchline

As a part of Hulu’s Hularious comedy special series, Ralph Barbosa is back for his second hour-long comedy special with Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa.

After the success of his 2023 Netflix special Cowabunga, Ralph Barbosa is back again with his second-ever hour-long comedy special. Debuting as a part of Hulu’s Hularious comedy series, Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa invites viewers back into his laid-back sense of humor as he explores his dating disasters, working on cars, being an immigrant, and trying to manage his temper. Described by his official website bio as the “one of the shyest attention hogs to ever do comedy," Barbosa brings his disarming charm to the Balboa Theatre in San Diego, CA and now to the streaming platform.

I had the chance to check out Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa early, and right off the bat, Ralph Barbosa walks out on stage with a sense of casualty very few comedians possess. It almost felt like he was walking into a hangout with friends, which was a refreshing start to the special. Barbosa kicks off the special announcing to audiences that he’s single, before making a facetious comment about how he cheated. His delivery was chill and a bit cheeky, showcasing his undeniably charming smile. Barbosa is incredibly personable, which quickly had me engaged.

But this is a comedy special, so how do his jokes stack up to his unique stage presence? Barbosa definitely had his moments, but, personally, his humor didn’t consistently resonate with me. He had moments that definitely got a chuckle out of me, but, content wise, Barbosa definitely caters to relating towards a heterosexual male audience.

Personal lows for me were a nearly 5 minute section that saw Barbosa address the audience, where he made sure to clarify that he respects anyone from any political background. This followed a long bit that saw him speak about his experiences dating undocumented immigrants as a Latino born in the United States. While he did end the segment by declaring he is staunchly pro-immigrant, it felt like pandering to keep his audience with him rather than just engaging.

Highs were definitely his segment around his love for compliments, exploring his fear of police officers by joking about how much better he would feel if police officers would tell him how great he is while arresting him. The bit highlighted his laid-back charm, and gave a very personal look at the comedian’s life and personality. His candor about experiencing anger issues was also refreshing.

Do I think you should check out Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa? If you are into comedy specials, Barbosa is definitely worth the watch. But know this is far from family friendly, with sexual content and explicit language. If you find yourself unenthused or offended by bro-y humor, you’ll probably want to pass on Planet Bosa. But for those looking for a comedy special spearheaded by a charming, “five foot six-and-a-half" man, you’ll definitely wanna head to Hulu.

Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa is out now!

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