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This revolution isn't televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As demonstrations against the leadership persist in US cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police observe.

Blending comedy and politics – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It originated after a video of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot at play with that humble frog costume," says a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme gained popularity on the internet, it was used to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he explained the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment came just days after an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

When activists take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences