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The revolution isn't televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As rallies opposing the government continue in US cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as police watch.

Blending levity and political action – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after recordings of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As the character first took off on the internet, people used it to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate so controversial.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his time with companions.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment followed a directive to send military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

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

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was halted by courts subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared nationwide at No Kings protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to a message without needing obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

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

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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