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The revolution won't be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While demonstrations against the leadership carry on in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Mixing humour and politics – a strategy social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after video footage of a clash between an individual in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There is much happening with that little inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to convey certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The event followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Mastering the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without needing explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

When activists take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences