History Main / QuietCryForHelp

->What kept going through his mind were Wonse's last words, as he shook the secretary's limp hand. He wondered if anyone else had heard them. Unlikely ... they'd been a shape rather than a sound. Wonse had simply moved his lips around them while staring fixedly at the assassin's moon-tanned face.

->The assassin shivered. Why him? As far as he could see there was only one kind of help he was qualified to give, and very few people ever asked for it for themselves.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': In ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossibleMovieSoTheDrama So The Drama]]'', Ned (the former manager of the local Bueno Nacho) tries to warn Ron that something is seriously wrong without being noticed by the new manager. Ron doesn't get the message... until he tries to complain directly to the company's CEO and finds himself talking to Dr. Drakken.

* In ''Series/GilligansIsland'' episode "Little Island, Big Gun", Gangster Jackson Ferrell forces the castaways to dress up as natives outside the hut and pretend not to speak English while he holds Mary Ann hostage inside the hut for when his enemies, the Indigo Mob, show up in search for him. Mr. Howell even tries to communication by saying "moolah", but it doesn't go over well, and the gangsters end up leaving the island as if having learned nothing of Jackson Ferrel's whereabouts.

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* Played for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGnfKnfY6EM this]] campaign clip called "Drama Queen", where during a road check a young girl signals to the policeman that she is being kidnapped while she isn't.

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* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': In "The Sweet Stench of Success", Bloo is tricked into signing himself into indentured servitude after he hits it big as a corporate mascot, and being locked away by his agent. As a last resort, he [[EveryoneKnowsMorse tap dances "HELP ME MAC" in Morse code]] during a live performance.

* In ''Literature/BravoTwoZero'' Andy [=McNab's=] captors force him to record a video message to show that he is [[BlatantLies not being mistreated]]. He remembers part of his SAS training that involved learning to slip uncharacteristic gestures into any such communications, such as constantly running finger through your hair if that is not a regular habit. Of course his commanding officers knew better than to believe this sort of propaganda in the first place.

* Played for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGnfKnfY6EM this]] campaign clip called "Drama Queen", where during a road check a young girls signals to the policeman that she is being kidnapped while she isn't.

* Played for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGnfKnfY6EM this]] campaign clip called "Drama Queen", where a young girls pretends to be kidnapped during a road check.

-> -- ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', Terry Pratchett

* On ''GeneralHospital'', as Brenda is kidnapped by an associate of her ex-boyfriend, he forces her to write a "Dear John" letter to her husband. Brenda complies, but manages to highlight several letters so that the word "HELP" is obvious.

* In ''TheRiverWild'', a family has been taken hostage by two gunmen. As they're approached by a state trooper, they're ordered to act perfectly normal. They comply, but the husband manages to scratch an "SOS" into the dirt. Unfortunately, his actions are discovered by one of the gunmen before the cop can notice it.

* The viewpoint character of The Spy Who Loved Me is a woman who has been hired to close up a motel on the last night of the season. Unfortunately, her employers have sent two men to rape and murder her, then burn the place down for insurance money. A British man turns up at the door asking for help with a flat tire, and she tells him they're closed and to go away while making the hand gesture for "come here." The man's name turns out to be James Bond.

This can be a moment of violent MoodWhiplash, as a situation which seemed comfortable or unremarkable is suddenly shown in a completely different light. The person making the plea is evidently desperate or terrified, probably being watched by a hostile third party, and may be taking a risk just by asking for help. In the worst case, the person making the plea is actually physically injured and maybe close to collapse; they may pass out a few seconds later, triggering a race for medical help or even a [[DiedInYourArmsTonight tragic death scene]]. They may even fall over in a way that reveals a previously unseen knife in their back or other serious wound.

Organised heroes will have a CovertDistressCode to make this more reliable. Alternatively, it may turn out that EveryoneKnowsMorse when this trope comes into play. It sometimes overlaps with StealthInsult, when a person held captive insults their captors in a way they can't figure out in order to signal to potential rescuers that they're being held against their will.

Organised heroes have a CovertDistressCode to make this more reliable. Alternatively, it may turn out that EveryoneKnowsMorse when this trope comes into play. It sometimes overlaps with StealthInsult, when a person held captive insults their captors in a way they can't figure out in order to signal to potential rescuers that they're being held against their will.

Organised heroes have a CovertDistressCode to make this more reliable. The trope sometimes overlaps with StealthInsult, when a person held captive insults their captors in a way they can't figure out in order to signal to potential rescuers that they're being held against their will.

Organised heroes have a CovertDistressCode to make this more reliable. Sometimes overlaps with StealthInsult, when a person held captive insults their captors in a way they can't figure out in order to signal to potential rescuers that they're being held against their will.

Sometimes overlaps with StealthInsult, when a person held captive insults their captors in a way they can't figure out in order to signal to potential rescuers that they're being held against their will.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "Day of the Daleks", the Doctor is held prisoner and then required to reassure {{the Brigadier}} that all is well over the telephone. He finds a subtle way to secretly call for help:

->''"I assure you, Brigadier, there's nothing to worry about. Tell Styles that. Tell the Prime Minister. And, Brigadier, be particularly sure to tell it to the Marines."''

* In ''Film/AVeryBradySequel'', Carol Brady is kidnapped and taken to Hawaii by a man posing as her first husband. As they check into a hotel, she tries ''knitting'' a plea for help.