In Episode 116 of The Economy of Nothing, Mike Allen and Mike Bedont explore how capitalism has learned to fail profitably. Starting with a broken washing machine and ending in Hollywood's AI assembly line, the conversation tracks how everything — from appliances to art — is now optimized for replacement.

Topics include:

• Planned obsolescence and the "five-year washer" problem

• Netflix, Disney+, and the streaming arms race

• Warner Bros. Discovery's failed Paramount bid

• The rise of private-money studios like Skydance

• AI in Hollywood and the future of creative labor

• The debut of Mr. Green's Pilot School concept

• Oceans 14 and why every heist movie feels like propaganda

• Stocks, antitrust, and the illusion of infinite growth

"It's not broken — it's optimized."

🎧 Listen on Libsyn, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📺 Watch the Visual Radio cut on Patreon. 🔗 patreon.com/economyofnothing