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The revolution may not be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the administration persist in American cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining humour and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," notes an expert, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities during a political race.

Initially, when this image gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

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

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer deployed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted nationwide at No Kings 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 frog costume was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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