Life Call Commercial "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
4,722,501
Published 2007-08-10
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, a fictional elderly lady named "Mrs. 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 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.
All Comments (21)
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Just stay down and you can never fall again
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"I was able to summon an ambulance" well I can summon the wither
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I remember laughing at this commercial when I was a teenager. I'll be 50 in a couple months and I hope in my case what goes around doesn't come around.
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Little did this old lady know that decades later she would be the face of one of the greatest memes of our generation.
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"I've fallen and I can't get up!"
Please stay on the line.Your call is very important to us.Our next available.... -
"I stood up, and I can't get down!"
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My grandma was the age of the people in this commercial and she would laugh at this every time it came on.
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I just showed this to my son and his friend (both 8 years old). I told them nothing beforehand, just to see what would happen.
They both laughed when it got to "I've fallen, and I CAN'T GET UP!" -
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0:28 The birth of a legend
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30 years later and I still crack up. That said, Mrs. Fletcher had it coming.
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I blame Mrs. Fletcher for making that iconic line so memorable and hilarious and also causing me to literally laugh my head off every time I hear her say that!
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HELP MY GRADES HAVE FALLEN AND I CANT GET THEM UP
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If you think about it most of the people in this video are dead now.
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On Opposite Day, Mrs. Fletcher says “I’ve risen, and I can’t get down!”
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When I can finally watch this with a straight face, I'll know I've matured and grown up.
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0:28 this is the EXACT reason why you're here.
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Legend has it...
She still hasn't got up -
“His name is Saul Goodman!”
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Help, there's a lawyer in my house!
