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This revolution won't be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

As rallies opposing the government carry on in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Combining humour and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

One particular emblem has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated after recordings of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

When the meme first took off online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, even a particular image shared by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

The frog debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said the character was inspired by his experiences with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own icons," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

The moment occurred shortly after an order to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer used pepper spray at a protester, targeting the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

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