🔗 Share this article

The protest movement won't be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

As rallies opposing the government persist in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Mixing comedy and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in the current era, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started after a video of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"There is much going on with that small inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the meme first took off online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

For a long time, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer used irritant at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

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

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

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

The tactic rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a message without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

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

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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