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The revolution won't be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While rallies against the administration persist in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while police observe.

Mixing comedy and political action – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in this period, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after a video of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal going on with that humble inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme gained popularity online, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. This shifted recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, 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 administration and the city, which argued the deployment was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

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

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

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

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