You’ve seen it. If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last twenty years—or if you’re a fan of those "World’s Funniest TV Moments" specials that used to air on network television—you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s the moment a contestant on The Newlywed Game allegedly gave the most shocking answer in the history of game shows. The question was simple: "What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever had the urge to make love?"
The contestant, a young woman named Olga, pauses. She looks a bit stumped. Then she says, "In the butt."
Bob Eubanks, the host, looks like he’s just seen a ghost. The audience loses it. It’s legendary. It’s also one of the most misunderstood pieces of television history because, for decades, people argued about whether it even existed. For a long time, it was the "Bigfoot" of game show bloopers.
Why the Newlywed Game in the Butt Moment Became an Urban Legend
For years, people swore they saw it, but nobody could find the tape. This was before YouTube. Before TikTok. If you missed a TV moment in 1977, it was basically gone unless you caught it on a blooper reel later. Because the clip was so scandalous for its time, rumors started flying that the producers had burned the evidence or that it was an "internal" joke that never aired.
Actually, the "Newlywed Game in the butt" moment became a case study in how we remember—and misremember—pop culture. Bob Eubanks himself spent years in interviews talking about it. He often joked that he’d be rich if he had a nickel for every time someone asked him if it was real. For a long time, Eubanks actually denied it happened on his watch. He thought people were conflating different episodes or making it up entirely.
Then the footage resurfaced. It turns out, the episode was real, it was from 1977, and it was every bit as awkward as the legend suggested. But the context matters. When Olga said those three words, she wasn’t trying to be a rebel. She was genuinely confused by the question. She thought "place" referred to a location on the body, not a location like "the park" or "the kitchen."
The Psychology of the Blooper
Television in the 70s was a different beast. Standards and practices were incredibly strict. You couldn't even say "pregnant" on I Love Lucy a couple of decades prior. By the time The Newlywed Game was in its prime, they were pushing boundaries, but "butt" was still a heavy word for daytime or early evening TV.
The humor doesn't just come from the answer itself. It comes from the disconnect. You have this wholesome-looking couple, a bright studio set, and a host who is the personification of "smooth." When the newlywed game in the butt answer drops, it shatters the artifice of the show. It’s the moment "real life" crashed into the highly manicured world of 1970s broadcasting.
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Snopes, GSN, and the Search for the Tape
If you look back at the archives of Snopes, you’ll find that they actually had to debunk the idea that this was an "urban legend." People were so convinced it was a myth—like the story of Mr. Rogers being a sniper or Walt Disney being frozen—that when the actual video proof came out, it was a legitimate news event in the world of entertainment trivia.
The Game Show Network (GSN) eventually aired the clip as part of their "Most Outrageous Moments" programming. This was a turning point. It moved the story from "I think my uncle saw this" to "here is the digital proof."
The sheer longevity of this specific blooper is wild. Most TV mistakes are forgotten in a week. This one stuck because it was the perfect storm of a double entendre (or a total lack of one) and a genuine human error.
Honestly, Olga is the hero here. She was just being honest. Or at least, honest about what she thought the question meant. Her husband’s reaction—a mix of "I can’t believe you said that" and "well, she’s not wrong"—is what seals the deal. It’s the ultimate test of a marriage to have your private preferences broadcast to millions of people because you misunderstood a noun.
Comparing the "Butt" Clip to Other Game Show Fails
We’ve seen some bad ones.
- Family Feud: "Name something a naked magician might pull a rabbit out of." (You can guess the answers there).
- Wheel of Fortune: People guessing "A Streetcar Naked Desire."
- The Price is Right: Contestants guessing $7,000 for a toaster.
But nothing touches the newlywed game in the butt clip because it felt so accidental. In modern game shows, contestants often try to go viral. They give "edgy" answers hoping to get a reaction from Steve Harvey. In 1977, there was no "viral." There was no "clout." There was only the sheer, unadulterated embarrassment of realizing you just told the entire country something you probably should have kept in the bedroom.
The Cultural Impact of the Mistake
It actually changed how game shows were written. Writers started being much more specific with their phrasing. Instead of saying "What is the most unusual place," they might say "In what room of the house" or "In what outdoor location." They had to "Olga-proof" the questions to avoid getting flagged by the network censors.
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Bob Eubanks has said in his autobiography and various speaking engagements that this one moment defined his career more than almost anything else. He’s a guy who did a lot—he even promoted The Beatles’ concerts at the Hollywood Bowl—but he’s forever linked to a woman talking about rear-end intimacy.
It’s also a lesson in how we consume media. We love to see the "mask" slip. We love it when the host loses control. Eubanks’ reaction—that high-pitched "Whoa!"—is half the fun. He wasn't just the host; he was the audience.
How to Find the Original Footage Today
You don't have to hunt through dusty VHS tapes anymore. The clip is all over YouTube, usually titled something like "Newlywed Game - The Most Famous Answer Ever."
If you watch the full segment, you’ll notice the buildup. The other couples are giving standard, boring answers like "in the woods" or "in a car." They’re playing the game correctly. Then it gets to Olga. The timing is perfect. It’s the last answer in the round. It’s the "button" on the scene.
You’ll see her husband, Charly, looking like he wants to melt into the floor. But he also laughs. That’s the key. If they had been angry, it wouldn't be funny. It would be uncomfortable. Because they both laughed, we—the audience—got permission to laugh too.
Moving Past the Blooper: What We Can Learn
There is a weirdly deep takeaway here about communication. Most arguments in relationships happen because one person is talking about "location" and the other is talking about "anatomy." Okay, maybe not exactly that, but you get the point. Miscommunication is the bedrock of comedy and the bane of marriage.
The newlywed game in the butt incident is basically a masterclass in why "defining your terms" matters.
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If you're planning on playing a version of this game at a bridal shower or a wedding, take a tip from the 70s. Be careful with how you word things. Or don’t—and hope you get a viral moment out of it. Just know that if you go the Olga route, people will still be talking about it fifty years from now.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Own Game Night
If you're looking to recreate the magic of the show (hopefully with fewer scandals), keep these things in mind:
- Specify your nouns. If you want to know about a physical location, say "Which city" or "Which room."
- Watch the body language. The funniest part of the original clip isn't the words; it's the eyes of the contestants.
- Don't force the "edgy" humor. The reason the 1977 clip works is that it was 100% genuine. Forced humor is rarely evergreen.
- Check the archives. If you’re a trivia buff, look into the GSN specials on the "Urban Legends of Game Shows." There are several other clips that people think happened but actually didn't, which makes the reality of the Olga clip even more special.
The reality is that The Newlywed Game was built on the idea of exposing the little gaps in what couples knew about each other. Usually, it was about what color the kitchen curtains were or how the husband liked his eggs. Sometimes, however, it went off the rails in the most spectacular way possible.
The "in the butt" answer remains the gold standard for "TMI" before "TMI" was even a term. It reminds us that no matter how much we try to stay composed, humans are unpredictable, literal-minded, and occasionally, hilarious accidentally.
If you want to dive deeper into TV history, look up the "Cisco Kid" episode of The Newlywed Game or the time a contestant got so mad she threw her cards at the host. But nothing will ever top the simplicity of Olga’s three-word mistake.
To see it for yourself, search for the official GSN upload of the clip. It's only about 30 seconds long, but it’s 30 seconds of television history that will never be repeated. Make sure you're watching the original 1970s broadcast and not one of the later re-enactments or "best of" parodies, as the authentic reaction from the audience is something you can't fake. Once you see the look on Bob Eubanks' face, you'll understand why it's the most requested clip in the history of the production company.