🔗 Share this article

The revolution won't be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the government persist in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that humble inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, 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's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said the character was inspired by his time with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The event occurred shortly after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text 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 while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences