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The Question That Made Al Squirm

Mark Moring

It's the spring of 1988, and they're taping The Newlywed Game. The brides are off stage, and Bob Eubanks is asking the kinds of questions that make husbands squirm, like "What insect does your mother-in-law look like?"

Now Al Joyner is really squirming. The other guys say "praying mantis" and "cockroach," which bring howls of laughter from the studio audience. But Al looks out and sees his mother-in-law in the crowd—and plays it safe.

"A beautiful butterfly," he tells Eubanks. The audience goes, "Awwww." They cut to a commercial, and the brides return.

When the mother-in-law question gets to Florence Griffith Joyner, she doesn't even think about it: "A black widow spider."

"WHAT?!?" Al asks, incredulous.

"Mom's long hair is braided really tight, and the kids always say, 'Grandma, you look like a spider,'" says Florence. "Al, we went over this."

The Joyners bicker, the audience giggles. Eubanks makes a sly remark. Typical Newlywed Game stuff.

It was the only question the Joyners missed, and they went on to win the contest—and some luggage, a video camera and a trip to Jamaica. They never took the vacation, because Florence was about to become the fastest woman in history. That summer, she set world records in both the 100- and 200-meter dash, winning both events at the Olympics. The records still stand.

But to this day, Florence won't let Al forget about missing that question. "I'm really competitive," she says. "We could've had a perfect score, but Al blew it."

The Joyners—who have a 7-year-old daughter, Mary—recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. Someone else joined the party—a beautiful butterfly, or maybe a spider. We're not sure which.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Marriage Partnership magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail mp@marriagepartnership.com.
Summer 1998, Vol. 15, No. 2, Page 65

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