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The revolution may not be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As protests opposing the government continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police look on.

Blending levity and political action – an approach experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in recent years, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated after a video of an encounter between a protester in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

As the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said the character was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows the lack of control over imagery," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed in early October, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

Although a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen 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 small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a cause without explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, he says.

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