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The revolution won't be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

While protests against the government persist in American cities, protesters are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining humour and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began when a video of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that little frog costume," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

When the meme initially spread online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, even one notable meme shared by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent used a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and troops withdrew from the area.

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

The costume was seen in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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