SNARF, SOA, UFC, and OK fine, we’ll talk about the new White Lotus theme song

That’s a lot of acronyms. Let’s take them one at a time.

SNARF (Stakes/Novelty/Anger/Retention/Fear) was coined by Buzzfeed founder Jonah Peretti as a pithy(ish) way to criticise big tech platforms that “incentivise content that maximises addictiveness”. The term formed part of an argument for a new social media platform that would utilise AI to create a safe and fun corner of the internet.

SOA, or Save Our Arts, is a new collective that will campaign throughout the upcoming federal election for policy priorities that include $5 billion for a cultural infrastructure fund and an AI Act to protect copyright and intellectual property. The group claims Australian culture is "at a crossroads" as big tech (them again) decide what audiences consume.

UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, made headlines recently after NSW Premier Chris Minns defended his government’s $16 million deal to bring the sport to Sydney by comparing it to funding for ballet and classical music. (There’s a lot to unpack on this, and we don’t have space, but it’s worth a Google).

OK was first used by Boston Morning Post editor Charles Gordon Greene as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” or “all correct”. But that’s not really the point. Fans are up in arms after a change to the theme tune for the much anticipated third season of The White Lotus (as it did for season two). It’s less tongue-heavy gargling, more disconcerting children’s party.

What does all this mean? A battle is underway to not only lead culture, but to define it.

Would the (gentle) outrage over a theme tune find a home in Buzzfeed’s ‘port in a storm’? Is Peretti’s promise to “use AI to give users agency” compatible with the fear of SOA policy adviser Dr Ben Eltham that AI is “stealing the jobs of artists”? And does one form of culture need to be justified by comparison to others? 

We may be about to find out.