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This revolution won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the government persist in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated when a video of a clash between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that little frog costume," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities throughout a political race.

As the character initially spread online, people used it to convey certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, 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. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over imagery," explains the professor. "They transform and be reclaimed."

Previously, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event followed an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

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

The strategy is based on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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