The protest movement may not be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.
Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.
While demonstrations against the administration persist in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.
Mixing humour and political action – an approach researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.
And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started after recordings of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to protests across the country.
"A great deal at play with that little blow-up amphibian," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.
From the Pepe Meme to Portland
It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements during a political race.
As the character first took off on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.
Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.
Yet its beginnings were not this divisive.
The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.
This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.
When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.
But Pepe lived on.
"It proves that creators cannot own icons," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."
Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.
The event came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.
The situation was tense and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the opening of the puffy frog costume.
Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.
The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."
The costume became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.
While the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."
"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling has serious implications."
The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the area.
Yet already, the frog had transformed into a potent protest icon for progressive movements.
The inflatable suit was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.
This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.
Controlling the Visual Story
The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."
The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.
The professor is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.
"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."
The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, he says.
As activists confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences
