When Nostalgia Becomes a Business Model with Tony Mendez

In this episode, Mark Brickey and Tony Mendez use Disneyland as a lens to examine a much bigger problem: what happens when creativity, nostalgia, and fandom are optimized by spreadsheets instead of passion.

The conversation traces how Disney’s rising prices, recycled entertainment, and increasingly complex systems, like Lightning Lane, mirror a wider cultural shift where consumers are asked to pay more for less, while being told it’s still “magical.” Mark breaks down why recent anniversaries, parades, and fireworks feel hollow, and how Disney’s dependence on demand pricing and manufactured excitement reflects a deeper erosion of trust.

From there, the discussion expands into movies, streaming, Star Wars, and Marvel—exploring why so many once-beloved franchises now feel exhausted, over-calculated, and creatively safe. Tony and Mark contrast boardroom-driven content with projects like Andor, where art, risk, and storytelling came first, and why those rare exceptions resonate so deeply.

The episode also turns inward. Mark talks openly about resisting the “dark side” of creator culture guides, hype content, and algorithm bait and why leaning harder into his own voice, storytelling, and curiosity ultimately led to growth. Together, they reflect on fandom, criticism, integrity, and what it means to love something enough to hold it accountable.

A thoughtful, unfiltered conversation about culture, creativity, and the cost of turning magic into a product.