🔗 Share this article

The protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst protests against the government continue in US cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in this period, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," states LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

When the character gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he stated the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control imagery," says the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The event came just days after a decision to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an agent deployed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and troops withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent protest icon for the left.

This symbol was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

When activists confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences