Help I'm Trapped in a Factory

Help I'm Trapped in a Factory

Updated Dec 16, 2019 at 05:34PM EST by Matt.

Added Aug 06, 2010 at 10:32AM EDT by rthomas2.

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About

"Help I'm Trapped in a Factory" is a phrasal template used in satirical pleas for help claiming to be stuck inside a factory that produces the object containing the message.

Origin

The exact origin of the phrasal template is unknown. Since the mid 1950s, the bubble gum brand Bazooka Joe produced gum wrappers with messages written on the inside, some of which purportedly contained the message "Help! I'm trapped in a bubble gum factory!"[1][2]

On February 22nd, 1961, Charles Schultz[10] published an issue of Peanuts that features the joke (shown below).


I ALWAYS ENJOY READING THE LITTLE NOTES MY MOTHER PUTSS IN MY LUNCH. PEANUTS HELP! I'M BEING HELD PRISONER IN A SCHOOL LUNCH FACTORY!" HMM.SO NOW SHE'S A COMEDIENNE. WHY? WHAT DOES SHE SAY? 2-22


On January 1st, 2006, the webcomic Xkcd[3] published a comic titled "Pi Equals," which contained the mathematical constant π with the hidden message "helpimtrappedinauniversefactory" (shown below).


Tr= 358979265 35 2973help imt rappedi a universe fac tory 71 0814..

Spread

On March 22nd, 2006, Flickr[6] user Cheri Utsler uploaded a photograph of a toilet paper roll with the message "Help!!! I'm trapped in the toilet paper factory" written in blue marker (shown below).



On October 10th, 2007, Xkcd[9] published a comic titled "Exploits of a Mom," which included the message "Her daughter is named Help I'm trapped in a driver's license factory" hidden in the comic's alt text. On July 4th, 2008, an electronic traffic sign at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was hacked with several joke messages, including the phrase "trapped in a sign factory" (shown below).[7]


TRAPPED IN SIGN FACTORY

In Season 4 of the animated television show Robot Chicken,[4] originally broadcast in December 2008, the titles of episodes 1 through 4 spelled out "Help Me / They Took My Thumbs / I'm Trapped / In a DVD Factory." On January 19th, 2011, a TV Tropes[5] entry titled "Help Help Trapped in Title Factory" was created, listing several examples of the phrasal template found in pop culture. On January 14th, 2013, Redditor SpinyLumpsucker posted a screenshot of a Facebook status update with a haiku poem about being stuck in a "haiku factory" to the /r/funny[8] subreddit (shown below).


Help me, I am trapped In a haiku factory Save me, before they Like Comment Share 3 hours ago. 15 people like this. i am on my way to the haiku factory to save you before.... 3 hours ago . Like .

Notable Examples


HELP!!! I'm trapped in a huge bong! HELP I'M TRAPPED IN A TITLE HEADING. SEND WIFI. DO THIS THING WHERE IDON'T DO ANYTHING. ILIKE TO CALL IT "LIFE." WOULD CALL THIS, "MUSINGS OF A SARCASTIC T---" BUT I'M GENERALLY TOO LAZY TO POST ANYTHING OF MY OWN. ALSO IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE IDEA OF A THEMELESS BLOG, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME HOGWARTS WEAR) HELP!!! I'm trapped in a Chinese fortune cookie factory.
Help! I'm trapped in a barcode factory ISBN 978 1 84146 558 6 9 781841 465586 £4.95 (Retail Price) MXHW45 Google Advanced Search help me i'm trapp help me i'm trapped in the google suggest server room Google Search Im Feeling Lucky Advertising Programs - Business Solutions About Google loop! Help, I'm trapped in a self.sicwordstories submitted 2 years ago by draebor 11 comments

Search Interest

Not available.

External References

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