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Home » Blake Shelton, a Master Storyteller? Oh, hail yeah! (video)

Blake Shelton, a Master Storyteller? Oh, hail yeah! (video)

Okay, you’ve got 4 minutes and 24 seconds to tell a great story. Ready? Go!

Blake Shelton did it in spectacular fashion in this official video for his latest single, “Doin’ What She Likes” (album, “Based on a True Story…” ©2013 Ten Point Prod’ns Inc., Warner Bros.).

In the video, Blake plays a regular guy with a deep romantic streak. Speaking by phone with his sweetheart, a twinkle in his eye, he suggests they spend the night at home and “fan the flame” a bit. As the story at first plays out in a predictable fashion, Blake races around the house preparing for a special night.

We never do get to see The Girl, which is unusual for Country music videos (famous for Daisy Duke-style hot girls in skimpy attire). What makes this video special? In delightful contrast to the sweet, syrupy sentiments expressed in the song’s lyrics — it all goes incredibly wrong.

Don’t let the country-bumpkin, aw-shucks first impression fool ya. Blake Shelton is a Master Storyteller. He hit a home run more than a decade ago with his first release, “Austin,” an emotional tale of lost love reunited. Now, “Doin’ What She Likes” uses foreshadowing, irony, suspense, metaphor and more to tell a wildly entertaining story for what could have been just another tender love ballad.

Watch the video, and you’ll see exactly what I mean. (…is it getting hot in here? Whew!)


question

Can you tell a powerful story in just a few minutes? What are some of the key ways to keep a short story “tight”? Share your ideas in Comments, just below.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Glory Lennon says

    March 10, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Oh yeah, that dude is funny! LOL 😀

    Reply
    • Jim Bessey says

      March 10, 2014 at 9:00 pm

      Yes he is, but he’s so sincere and likable about it, don’t you think?

      Reply
  2. Katharine Trauger says

    March 13, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Keepin’ it tight. Word economy.
    So simple. So hard.
    I use nouns and verbs that need no adjectives and adverbs.
    Implied parallelism can eliminate associated words, as can allusions.
    Beginning a motto is like the proverbial “stitch in time…”
    Wish I was really good at it.

    Reply
    • Jim Bessey says

      March 15, 2014 at 8:40 pm

      I love your point about nouns and verbs that are strong enough to stand alone, Katharine.

      I’m not as clear on “implied parallelism” though. Can you tell me more about that?

      Reply
  3. Kathy Steinemann says

    March 15, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    That’s certainly not the type of video a person would expect from listening to the music. 😉

    Reply
    • Jim Bessey says

      March 15, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      I agree, Kathy. I’d heard the song long before I ever saw this video. The direction that Blake and his team took with it really surprised me, and that was fun!

      Reply
  4. Debi O'Neille, writing against the wind says

    April 30, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    The female voice on the phone sounds like Miranda. 🙂
    Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com

    Reply

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