🔗 Share this article

The revolution won't be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

While rallies against the government carry on in American cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Combining levity and political action – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"A great deal happening with that small blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image first took off online, people used it to express certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

However the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control imagery," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident came just days after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that draws focus to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

When protesters confront authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences