🔗 Share this article

The protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As demonstrations against the administration carry on in American cities, protesters are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Combining comedy and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after video footage of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

When this image initially spread online, people used it to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

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

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own imagery," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The moment came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to a message without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, he says.

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