Pardon Me?

by Robert Popper on January 20, 2010 · 155 comments

I am so excited. I mean, really, really excited. I’ve been looking for this video for years and have only just found it. I guarantee you will have NEVER seen a video as brilliant (awful) as this. And you will NEVER get this tune out of your head. EVER.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Maxine Swaby with ‘Pardon Me’…

Come on then peeps – which bits do you like?

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  • Anonymous

    If I were to only hear Maxine Swaby sing this ballad I would have easily ignored this clip, but upon seeing her emotive facial expressions and literal use of her hands to explain the lyrics I was instantly drawn in to her genius. All I know is the next time I am dumped I want that conversation to open with “pardon me”!

  • Charlenw

    Why does she sound like Robin Cooper? Why is there a train? And why is she saying ‘pardon me’? Does she have wind?

  • http://www.richardshepherd.com/ rich

    Sweet Jesus it’s brilliant! Nice finger nails, Maxine.

  • Edgewriter

    What about the brilliant Jan Terri or Mark Gormley. Jan Terri’s godawful videos are at last 1.5 times worse

  • Maria

    I don’t know what to say…
    maybe Oh my gooodnesss

  • http://paperbrains.wordpress.com/ Knick Pruitt

    well her skin looked silky smooth?

  • fellvieh

    Well… The worst part is from 0:00 to 3:50 xD

  • Edgewriter

    love all the stalker photo moments.

  • monstroso

    fav bit – the piano flourish with the fingers going the wrong wsy.

  • http://www.100peaks.com/ 100Peaks

    I just…I can’t… I can’t..

    The best part is that it looked like it was edited with two VCRs connected to each other.

  • Anonymous

    … … … what?!

  • daffydrunk

    ummm pardon me

  • Anonymous

    kitsch value £0.00, too awful for…

  • http://www.aguyinhisbasement.com/ DanJohn

    why is she dressed like a stewardess?

  • LauraELM

    I like the part where it ended.

  • http://twitter.com/Wavelength Lee Marshall

    oh dear god. no.

  • http://twitter.com/taradot TaraEstok

    wow… this is Epic..

  • http://www.feartheboot.com/ Hussman

    Oh you want a song you will NEVER get out of your head, then check out this little number. If you’re not clapping on your second listen, you are not alive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89nPVr85OC8

  • Pingback: Pardon me? | dv8-designs

  • Laurielle

    Wow…this is terrible. Why is she dressed like a flight attendant the whole time?

  • Michael

    THAT WAS PURE AWESOMNESS!

  • Anonymous

    Is she in the Salvation Navy? Wow. Well at least you can stop looking for this. Maybe you can lose it again?

  • Anonymous

    The appearance of random wildlife- the bizzare uniforms she wears- like an Avon lady on crack and the sheer amount of transport featured is just magical. I also adore the make up that seems to be battered into her face by a small blind child who has robbed a makeup bag and attacked her. I think she is awesome and should be number one- why didnt we choose her instead of rage against the machine?

  • Amanda

    Is she a flight attendant?

  • momopau

    wow, you’re right, i will probably have this tune in my head for the rest of my life. I can’t seem to stop myself from watching it! oh my goodness ..

  • http://grapefruitopia.com/ benjymous

    It seems Brightfacemedia once had a website – the Wayback machine has a copy (or has bits of a copy): http://web.archive.org/web/20030220100550/http://www.brightfacemedia.com/

    Most interesting is this text:

    Brightface Media is celebrating over the showing of its first ever video. Featuring singer Maxine Swaby. Maxine was invited by the makers of Channel 4 programme Born Sloppy to sing live on the Born Sloppy set.

    Coventry’s newest pop artist Is presently working on a single to be released in early 2003.More details please contact us.

    We want to hear from you!

  • Randy

    What? No mention of the credits?

    ‘Pardon Me sang (sic) by Maxine Swaby’

  • Anonymous

    I didn’t watch it.

  • http://www.robyngallagher.com/ Robyn

    She could make a fortune teaching women the Swaby Technique: how to get the Botox effect by learning to not move your facial muscles.

  • StormGarelli

    If you look carefully, you can discern from her face that she discreetly farts just before singing “Pardon me” each time.

  • http://grapefruitopia.com/ benjymous

    Ok.. after a bit of googling, I’ve found this: http://www.timothytituslimited.com/id3.html
    Tim Constable and Patrick McNeill are two of the people responsible for this masterpiece.

    Next, it seems Tim also does graphic design:
    http://www.timothytituslimited.com/id4.html

    Do you see those flyers? Maxine? Top quality hair care consultant? Could it be? Robert, do you need a haircut?

  • Ginny

    I am so confused…

  • http://booboomcgoo.wordpress.com/ Za

    I like “always looking ’round”…

    She sounds like a duck that likes singing up really high!

  • My Name Is Tom

    Best Incubus cover ever!

  • Myk

    This looks like a commercial for a Funeral Home.

  • Tris

    Pardon me, but I am confused. Is she a stewardess? Or an airline pilot, either way she has to go.

  • Anonymous

    I’m not sure what she was grabbing, right before she headed into the church, but it looked like some sort of weapon? I was so hopeful…

  • http://almondsandapples.wordpress.com/ Rebecca

    I just love how you can really see the feeling in her eyes… it's like they're windows to her soul.

  • Kim

    The red marching-band outfit. Goes great with the gray fingernails.

  • http://robertpopper.com Robert Popper

    That is hilarious!

  • http://robertpopper.com Robert Popper

    You're right!

  • http://robertpopper.com Robert Popper

    Good finds.

  • Anonymous

    I love the random shots of the planes landing at Heathrow… Unless I missed something obvious in the narrative of this work, I’m not sure why they are there. Great video.

  • catjungle

    I’m most intrigued by the portrait on the mantle. And very impressed by the interpretive dance moves.

  • darkassfeatures

    I like the fact it isn’t deinterlaced and the piano inserts….. who am i kidding? its all amazing

  • Anonymous

    Bit cwunty to pick on her like this. Plainly an honest (if inept) attempt to make something. Can’t all be as ‘good’ as you.

  • Nick

    I love how her lack of expression denotes her insincerity in the words she’s singing.. Also the transition mishap 1:00 into it, and how the next scene cuts in immediately after it with no transition, love it.

    The random cuts to the piano which the person obviously isn’t playing, and the random poorly framed close-up shots of her body, switching from dynamic and panning cameras to dead-still tripod shots

    The random train at 3:10

    Well, that’s all I can spot that I like.

  • jody_pierce

    I like the decorating in her house, especially the card and photo on the mantle piece. Love the lead wiring on her double glazed windows. Makes her house look like a prison. Lastly, the gold embroidery on her sleeves. Why Robert, why????

  • http://www.twitter.com/ccrichton Catherine

    Trying valiantly, and failing every time, to hit the high note on “and I want YOU to know”. Also, impressively complicated hairdo.

  • Anonymous

    this would ‘mash up’ with the eastenders theme quite well…probably “pardon meastenders” or “meast”

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