🔗 Share this article

The protest movement isn't broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations against the administration carry on in US cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in recent years, used by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started after recordings of a confrontation between an individual in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

Initially, when the character gained popularity on the internet, people used it to express certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated the character came from his life with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that we don't control icons," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment followed a decision to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer used irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

While the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts just a month later, and troops are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog was now a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

The link between both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a message without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

When protesters take on authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences