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

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

As protests against the government persist in US cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Combining comedy and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small frog costume," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character initially spread on the internet, people used it to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own symbols," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

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

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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