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The revolution may not be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the leadership continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers observe.

Blending comedy and political action – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after recordings of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal 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 the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew 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 icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer used pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen in many cities at No Kings protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

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

Mastering the Visual Story

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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