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The protest movement 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.

Whilst demonstrations against the government carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started when video footage of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that little blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout a political race.

As the character gained popularity on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

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

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The event occurred shortly after an order to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, stating it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

Although the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, he says.

As activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences