Watch What Crappens – Dwell Hello #518: "His Shirts and Her Pole in Boblingen, Germany"

Hosts: Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam
Date: September 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Dwell Hello, a House Hunters International bonus recap from Watch What Crappens, follows Ben and Ronnie as they delightfully snark on the House Hunters International episode "His Shirts and Her Pole in Böblingen, Germany." The focus: a newlywed American couple—a flamboyant Marine with a loud personal style (especially known for his very short shorts and Hawaiian shirts) and his fitness-obsessed wife who's into pole dancing—relocating to a German town with their big, shaggy dog. As always, Ben and Ronnie deliver a hilarious, affectionate roast, highlighting culture clashes, wacky American expectations, and their own Real Housewives-style commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Couple: His Shirts & Her Pole (01:45–07:00)

• The couple consists of Hunter, a beefy Marine with a penchant for “tight, short, pastel shorts” and “tacky Hawaiian shirts,” and Dee, a Huntington Beach, CA native with a passion for pole fitness, described as “kind of a Huntington Beach Lisa Hochstein” (05:00).

  • Ronnie: "He looks like the cop from Reno 911 who always wore short shorts" (03:59)
  • Ben: "He's sturdy...a marine...tree trunks for legs" (04:19)

• Both are described as straight out of California/Arizona central casting—“run of the mill white people”—whose aesthetic will be “imported offensively” to Germany.

  • Ben: "Do we really have to export this to Europe right now? Isn't our reputation suffering enough?" (07:18)

2. American Tacky Meets German Normcore (07:18–08:20)

• The hosts relish describing the cringe of the couple bringing “tacky” American traditions to staid German surroundings, e.g., "sitting out on the lawn with umbrella drinks and pink flamingos, even tackier in Europe" (08:07).
  • Ben: "Why are you insisting on this?" (08:07)
  • Ronnie: “I really can’t wait to go to Germany and just piss everybody off, which is kind of fun to watch.” (08:20)
• Dee’s run-ins with “the German stare” and anecdotes about German bluntness—plus Ben’s story of European waiters’ brutal honesty (08:20–09:41).

3. The Dog, American Introductions, and Their Relationship (11:07–13:00)

• The couple's antics extend to their fluffy dog Duke (with a “top pony” hairstyle), and a hilarious debate about dog intelligence and necessity of canine hair accessories (11:26).
  • Ben: "I will allow an accessibility-oriented top pony. But that's the only one." (11:56)
  • Ronnie: "That's a dumb dog. Some would say the best kind of dog." (12:17)
• Relating their relationship origin story (meeting via app, letting a near-stranger stay overnight), and the “we’ve never lived together, now we’re moving to Germany!” dynamic.
  • “I was desperate for a man…I let a complete stranger walk in and sleep on my sofa. It’s worked out ever since.” – Ben (14:26)

4. Culture Clash: US vs. Germany – “Give Me Super German!” (17:05–24:00)

• Dee’s obsession with getting a “super German house,” without really understanding what “German” means, results in ongoing mockery.
  • Ronnie: “I want a house that's basically screaming 'How many times do I have to apologize?'" (21:25)
  • Ben: “A house with no round features, only sharp 90-degree angles. That’s how German I want it to be.” (21:35)
• Hunter wants something modern and practical for the dog; Dee wants traditional and “charm.”
• Guest rooms, an office, and a dedicated pole dancing room are on the wish list (23:22).
  • Ben: “You do not need four bedrooms! …A room for the office, a room for the pole…” (23:22–23:54)
• Discussions about Germany’s dog culture (or lack thereof in rentals) segue into stats comparing dogs in Germany to American illiteracy (26:33–26:58).

5. German Realities, House Tours, and the “Pole Situation” (32:12–39:52)

• The hosts break down each housing option, riffing on the inadequacy of the first ("two bedrooms, tiny balcony, not even fit for the dog or pole"). Kevin—the house-hunting agent—is blunt, practical, and quietly roasts the Americans:
  • Ronnie (as Kevin): “I know it doesn’t have everything you asked for, but this is good for you.” (34:10)
• Continual pole jokes: every house tour includes a debate over whether there's “space for the pole.” Kevin is increasingly exasperated by the Americans’ pole fixation.

6. Notable Tangents: Disney Villain Sympathies & American Small Talk Abroad (27:28–31:34; 44:24–46:43)

• Ben and Ronnie go on a hilarious tangent about rooting for villains in children's movies ("Team Ursula! Team Hook!") while paralleling this couple's “villain” status in German suburbia (27:28–31:34).
• They riff on Americans’ need for chattiness and recognition versus the more reserved German (and Scandinavian) attitude (45:00–46:43).

7. House #2: Retro Garden House with Yard (47:10–54:49)

• The second house is retro, spacious, and has a yard—perfect for the dog and possibly the pole (though with weird stucco interiors).
  • Ronnie: “This is a time machine house. Like a seedy motel...thick stucco inside.” (47:33)
• Ben surprisingly likes the retro staircase, citing nostalgia for '80s wood paneling (48:10–48:55).
• Pole placement continues to be a running joke—will the printer get knocked off by swinging? (53:15)
• D’s desire for “more German-ness” extends to fantasies of Haribo Gummy Bear walls (51:21), triggering Ben’s trauma from visiting the Haribo HQ (51:29–52:29).

8. Oktoberfest Costuming and German Stares (55:39–57:03)

• The couple dresses up in comical Oktoberfest costumes, earning curious (and hostile) looks from locals.
  • Ben: “No one else is dressed like that. Everyone else is in jeans and a t-shirt.” (55:39)
  • Ronnie: “Think the middle finger being flipped up means the same in Germany?” (56:09)

9. The Final House: Modern/Traditional Mash-Up (58:13–66:33)

• The third house is modern, stylish, has a rooftop terrace, and “German beams”—D’s new standard for authenticity.
  • Ben: “…so beautifully German. It’s like I can hear the Brothers Grimm writing stories under this beam.” (59:58)
  • Ronnie: “Makes me want to put a kid in an oven. This is so German.” (60:08)
• The couple debates slanted ceilings (“What if I need to bolt up in the middle of the night and bonk my head?” – Ben, 63:10) and their inability to adapt to European architecture.
• D’s expectations are called out as both impossible and hilariously contradictory: "I want something that feels authentically German, but also American-sized and convenient." (64:55–65:27)

10. The Decision & Three Months Later (66:33–69:42)

• They pick the retro garden house (House #2) for its yard and space.
• Final scene: the couple, with pink flamingos in the lawn, continues their “Americanizing” tradition and pole dancing in view of neighbors, with the hosts imagining local Germans plotting subtle acts of protest (e.g., moving flower pots out of order).
  • Ronnie: “Glad they found the place. I wonder if they've been vandalized yet.” (69:15)
  • Ben: “I feel like vandalizing in Germany is like moving a flower pot a few inches out of place.” (69:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On American Style in Germany:

  • Ben: “Do we really have to export this to Europe? Isn't our reputation suffering enough?” (07:18)
  • Ronnie: “I want a house that's basically screaming, ‘How many times do I have to apologize?’” (21:25)

• On Pole Dancing Obsession:

  • Ronnie: "[Kevin] I don't understand the pole, I don't want to see the pole, enough with the pole." (49:13)

• On Their Relationship:

  • Ben: "I was desperate for a man…I let a complete stranger walk in and sleep on my sofa. It’s worked out ever since." (14:26)

• On Being Out of Place:

  • Ronnie: “You could make extra money here renting your face out for bounce house.” (20:13)
  • Ben: "When they see us walking down the street…they just sort of stare at us." (56:42)

• On Slanted Ceilings:

  • Ben: "What happens if I'm sleeping and then I realize I have to stand up in my bed at that very moment, very quickly? I might hurt myself." (63:10)
  • Ronnie: "You are not tall enough to ride this mirror.” (54:49)

Timestamps for Important Sections

• Couple Introduction & Style Roasting: 01:45–07:00
• American vs. German Culture / The German Stare: 07:18–09:41
• Dog and Relationship Origin: 11:07–13:00
• Discussing House Requirements & Stereotypes: 17:05–24:00
• First House Tour (“This is Good for You”): 32:12–34:10
• Disney Villain Tangent: 27:28–31:34
• Second House (Retro, Yard): 47:10–54:49
• Oktoberfest Costumes & Local Reaction: 55:39–57:03
• Third House (Modern, Beams): 58:13–66:33
• Final Decision & 3-Months-Later Montage: 66:33–69:42

Recap Tone

As always, Ben and Ronnie's tone is lovingly irreverent—a blend of affection for Bravo trash, cultural satire, and their own brand of “mock because we love” humor. The language veers from Housewives references to over-the-top German stereotypes, full of playful snark and quotable observations.

For Listeners

If you haven't watched this House Hunters International episode, Ben and Ronnie's recap will more than prepare you for the culture cringe, MLS madness, and joyful secondhand embarrassment. This was a classic Dwell Hello session—hilariously sharp, weirdly insightful, and packed with “is this real life?” moments that only American reality TV and a sharp-tongued podcast can provide.