The video for "Simple Man" begins with Josh Wink and Herschel (the singer from The Interpreters) backstage in a dressing room getting psyched up for a show. A stage manager with a headset and clipboard enters the dressing room and signals to Josh and Herschel that it is time. Joseph grabs a large boom box from off the dressing room counter and the two men are led by flashlights through a winding backstage hallway. The camera is handheld and the mood is hectic. Josh and Herschel make their way onto the dark stage. A crowd surges in anticipation. Joseph places the boom box on a stand in the middle of the stage and Herschel plugs it in. Josh puts a tape in the deck and pushes play. The two men scurry off to the side of the stage as the drum beats of the song kick in and a spotlight illuminates the lone Radio. The crowd explodes, bouncers try to contain the swarm of kids who jump barricades in an attempt to get closer to the stage. Fans in the front row storm over the barricade, but are led back to the pit by bouncers. The camera follows a Fan being led away by a bouncer. The Fan has a picture of the boom box on his t-shirt. The Fan breaks free of the bouncer and tries to scale the stage, he is subdued and thrown back into the pit.

The Radio is the star of the show, Josh and Herschel are the Radio's managers. They stand on the side of the stage and nod to the beat. Josh checks a stopwatch hanging around his neck making sure the show doesn't go into Over Time.

The show ends and Josh and Herschel carry the Radio back into the dressing room. A group of backstage hipsters and groupies pine for the Radio's attention as Josh settles up with the show's promoter. An overzealous fan lunges at the Radio and hugs it. A bouncer quickly moves in and removes the fan from the dressing room. An A+R type poses for a picture with the Radio. The Radio leaves in a limbo with its super model girl friend, Josh and Herschel. People claw at the outside of the limo. The supermodel opens a bottle of champagne as Josh and Herschel count the take from the show.

The video becomes a montage of images and headlines spinning through frame. The montage denotes time passing, and shows us the Radio's skyrocketing success. Magazine covers with the Radio's picture float through frame (Faux Rolling Stone Interview, Billboard Hot 100 Charts, etc.) Fans with boom box t-shirts scream into camera.

Inside, a trendy nightclub a model comes up and kisses the Radio on its right and left side. Paparazzi photos from the backs of magazines show pictures of the Radio hanging out with various celebrities. The Radio appears on MTV's Unplugged. Josh unplugs the Radio's chord and inserts batteries into it. He then places the Radio on a wooden stool on the Unplugged stage and presses play.

We see the Radio being interviewed on the Charlie Rose Show. Josh and Herschel orchestrate the Radio's climb to the top. We see the two managers ushering the Radio and its beautiful supermodel girlfriend into high class events, pushing away paparazzi and answering the press's questions. As the Radio climbs to the top, its appearance changes, consoles are added and it gets gold plating.
We see a live dialogue scene of Josh arguing with a concert promoter backstage at the show. Josh berates the promoter for not having three-prong outlets in the dressing room. The promoter sheepishly offers Josh a three-prong adapter. Josh smacks the adapter out of the promoter's hand and tells him to rewire the room or the Radio doesn't play the show.

The montage of images sour as the Radio begins its fall from grace. Magazine and newspaper headlines tell us what is happening: "SUSPECTED DRUG USE," "TENSION BETWEEN RADIO AND MANAGER," etc... A tabloid cover shows a picture of a child with a human body and a speaker for a head. Underneath the child is a picture of the boom box with the supermodel, with the headline, "Illegitimate Love Child?" As the Radio spirals down the ladder, its appearance diminishes. The Radio gradually becomes scuffed up with its antenna cracked and wrapped with tinfoil.

Josh and Herschel wait impatiently outside of a nightclub. A group of boom box fans are lined up down the block. The Radio is a no show and Josh is freaking out. Cut to the two men breaking down the door of the Radio's hotel room. The supermodel is passed out on the bed. Discarded liquor bottles and batteries are strewn about the room. Josh searches for the Radio, he breaks down the door to the bathroom and is shocked to find the Radio drowned in the tub. Cut to hectic hand-held shots of the Radio being rushed into a stereo repair shop by paramedics. Hoards of teenage fans gather outside the repair shop, holding a candlelight vigil. Josh and Herschel look distressed, as they answer reporters' questions and hug wellwishers.

Cut to an MTV News Flash. We see and hear Kurt Loder, a picture of the Radio appears in the corner. Kurt Loder announces that after numerous repairs and a lengthy stay at the Betty Ford Clinic, the Radio will perform a sold out comeback show. Cut to Josh and Herschel backstage in a dressing room. Herschel dusts off the Radio as Josh nervously smokes a cigarette. A stage manager comes in and lets them know that it's time. Herschel carries the Radio, as they make their way to the stage. Josh throws his lit cigarette into an open garage can. The Radio takes the stage and the lights go up. The crowd erupts into a frenzy. Cut back to the garbage can. Josh's cigarette has ignited some garbage and smoke billows into an overhead smoke detector. A fire alarm goes off in the back of the club.

The fans stop dancing to the Radio and turn their heads to the noise emanating from the back of the club. Cut to a close-up of the fire alarm; a bright red square metal speaker with a siren on top. The fans' eyes light up and they rush towards the noise. The kids start to dance wildly in front of the fire alarm. Bouncers quickly move to keep the kids away from the subject of their fickle attention. Josh and Herschel look on from the side of the stage defeated. The Radio sits alone onstage as the spotlight pans over to the fire alarm. A spinning cover of Billboard Magazine with a picture of the fire alarm dissolves over the image of the kids dancing to the alarm. The headline states: "Hot New-Comer Blazes Up The Charts!"...and we fade to black.

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