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The revolution may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst protests opposing the leadership continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies nationwide.

"There is much going on with that humble inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups during an election cycle.

As the character first took off on the internet, people used it to express certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, even a particular image shared by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

However its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Previously, the association of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident occurred shortly after a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had become a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol appeared in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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