🔗 Share this article

This revolution isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As rallies opposing the administration carry on in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Blending humour and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after video footage of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"There is much at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

As the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," states the professor. "They transform and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an agent sprayed pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests recently. 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.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Visual Story

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

This approach is based on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

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

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

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

As activists confront the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences