"I've fallen, and I can't get up!" is a line spoken in

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

for LifeCall, a now defunct

medical alarm A medical alarm is an alarm system designed to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to summon emergency medical personnel. Other terms for a medical alarm are Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) or medical alert. ...

and protection company. It is remembered as a catchphrase throughout the 1990's.

Origins

The line was spoken by actress Dorothy McHugh in a 1987 LifeCall television commercial. LifeCall subscribers, mostly seniors and

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...

people, would receive a

pendant A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ...

which, when activated, would allow the user to speak into an audio receiving device and talk directly with a dispatch service, without the need to reach a

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

. The service was designed to appeal particularly to seniors who lived alone and who might experience a

medical emergency A medical emergency is an acute injury or illness that poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long-term health, sometimes referred to as a situation risking "life or limb". These emergencies may require assistance from another, qualified ...

, such as a

fall Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemispher ...

, which would leave them alert but immobile and unable to reach the telephone. In 1989, LifeCall began running commercials that contained a scene wherein an elderly woman, identified by a dispatcher as "Mrs. Fletcher", uses the medical alert pendant after having fallen in the

bathroom A bathroom is a room in which people wash their bodies or parts thereof. It can contain one or more of the following plumbing fixtures: a shower, a bathtub, a bidet, and a sink (also known as a wash basin in the United Kingdom). A toilet is al ...

. After falling, Mrs. Fletcher speaks the phrase "I've fallen, and I can't get up!", after which the dispatcher informs her that he is sending help. Edith Fore ''(née'' Edith Americus DeVirgilis; 1916–1997) portrayed Mrs. Fletcher. Although a stuntperson performed the fall itself, Fore said that she created the "I've fallen" line while discussing the accident with LifeCall.

Legacy

By 1990, the ''

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'' reported that "From coast to coast, from playground to barroom, an enfeebled whine rings out across the land. All together now: 'I've fallen . . . and I can't get up!'" The catchphrase appeared on t-shirts,

novelty record A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

s, and in standup comedy. Samples have been used in songs such as "I can't watch this" in 1992 by

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

, and "Silent Inferno" by

the Flower Kings The Flower Kings are a Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1994 by guitarist and singer-songwriter Roine Stolt. The group began as Stolt's touring band to support his third solo album ''The Flower King''. They continued performing after the ...

on the 2002 album '' Unfold the Future''. The phrase was parodied in several television shows including ''

Family Matters ''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-of ...

'' which became one of

Steve Urkel Steven Quincy Urkel is a fictional character on the American ABC/CBS sitcom '' Family Matters'', portrayed by Jaleel White. Originally slated for a single appearance, he broke out to be the show's most popular character, gradually becoming it ...

's catchphrases, ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...

'', ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...

'' and ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

''.

Trademark

According to the

United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...

, after first applying in October 1990, LifeCall registered the phrase "I've fallen, and I can't get up" as a

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

in September 1992 until its status was cancelled in 1999 (LifeCall went out of business in 1993). In October 2002, the similar phrase "Help! I've fallen, and I can't get up!" became a registered trademark of

Life Alert Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc., known as Life Alert, is a nationwide American device service company, with headquarters in Encino, California, US, which provides services that help elderly people contact emergency services. The company wa ...

Emergency Response, Inc. The registration was cancelled in May 2013. A new registration was granted in May 2014. Life Alert had filed for the phrase "Help, I've fallen & can't get up!" in March 2001, but the application was abandoned in November 2001. In June 2007, the phrase "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" also became a registered trademark of Life Alert. Both phrases are currently used on their website as well as in their commercials.

References

External links

LifeCall commercial at RetroJunk
{{DEFAULTSORT:I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up! 1980s television commercials 1989 in the United States 1989 quotations 1990s television commercials Advertising campaigns American advertising slogans American television commercials Catchphrases Quotations from television

Origins

Legacy

Trademark

See also

References

External links