🔗 Share this article

This revolution may not be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While protests against the administration continue in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.

Blending humour and political action – a strategy researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after video footage of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to protests across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that little frog costume," says LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

When this image first took off on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. But that changed in early October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The action was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume appeared in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to a cause without needing directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

As activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences