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This revolution may not be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests against the government carry on in American cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as police watch.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic researchers term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started when a video of a clash between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to rallies nationwide.

"A great deal going on with that small inflatable frog," says an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

When this image first took off online, it was used to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. A transformation occurred in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The event came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an agent deployed irritant at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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