I've fallen and I can't get up

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"I've fallen… and I can't get up!" was a popular catchphrase of early 1990s popular culture based upon a line from a United States-based television commercial.

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Mrs. Fletcher: "I've fallen, and I can't get up!"

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Dispatcher: "We're sending help immediately, Mrs. Fletcher."

1 The source of the line
2 The actress
3 Notable uses
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] The source of the line

This line was spoken in a television commercial for a medical alarm and protection company called LifeCall, in ads that began running in 1987. The motivation behind these medical alarm systems is that many senior citizens today live at home alone, and may find themselves suddenly in medical danger with no one (and no phone) nearby to help them. The product addressed this concern by providing its subscribers with a small pendant, worn around the wrist or neck; when needed, the wearer presses the button on it, and he or she is immediately put into contact with a dispatcher who can send a paramedic, fireman, or other emergency assistance.

The TV advertisement featured, in part, an elderly lady named Jessica Fletcher, who has fallen, with her walker, in the bathroom.

On its face, the commercial illustrates a serious situation for a senior with dire consequences (elderly people with no one to care for them may fall in their homes and be on the floor for hours or even days, unable to get help).

The "I've fallen and I can't get up" ad had the double misfortune of being unintentionally campy and appearing often on cable and daytime television. The fact that the commerical was a dramatization (as clearly stated in the beginning of the commercial) using rather mediocore acting also contributed to the humor. The combination made "I've fallen... and I can't get up!" a recognized, universal punchline that applied to many comedic situations. All of these factors made the ad memorable, ensuring the line's place in pop culture history.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, after first applying in October 1990, LifeCall registered the phrase "I've fallen and I can't get up" as a trademark in September 1992 until its status was cancelled in 1999.^[1] In October 2002, the similar phrase "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" became a registered trademark of Life Alert Emergency Response, Inc.^[2] 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.^[3]

[edit] The actress

Mrs. Fletcher was portrayed by Bea Marcus. Mrs. Fletcher is referenced as being played by Edith Fore^[4]^[5]. However, there are also references to one Dorothy McHugh ^[6], a former Ziegfield Follies dancer, playing the part. The commercial's "Mrs. Fletcher" and her catchphrase became so famous that when McHugh died of a stroke on July 19, 1995, her death was newsworthy based on her appearance in the commercial alone. (Edith Fore died on July 31, 1997^[7].)

[edit] Notable uses

The original Mrs. Fletcher voice clip was mixed into a series of commercials that was used in the "Weird Al" Yankovic parody song "I Can't Watch This."^[8]
A musical group, Slant 6 and the Jump-Starts, recorded a song about the character titled "Mrs. Fletcher" in the 1990s, using her voice uttering the line in between verses. The song became popular with listeners to radio's Dr. Demento Show, frequently getting enough requests to make the show's weekly "Funny Five" of most requested songs, and also was on the annual "Funny 25" list of most requested songs for the entire year of 1990.^[9]
The advertisement was satirized by Will Ferrell in the film Austin Powers, where he has several scenes based around his being injured and calling out for help in a manner similar to the advertisement, including one which begins "Help! I've fallen down a cliff, and I can't get up".
In a Xena Warrior Princess blooper, Kevin Smith (Ares) has trouble getting up from under a whole lot of debris and says "I've fallen and I can't get up".
Steve Urkel from Family Matters uses the catchphrase in an episode where Steve falls off the roof and is hanging by a ladder.
In the movie Suburban Commando, Shep Ramsey (Hulk Hogan) smashes a car alarm where afterwards, the broken alarm says the catchphrase.