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

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

Whilst demonstrations opposing the government continue in US cities, participants are adopting the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Blending levity and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started when a video of an encounter between a man in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

When the character initially spread online, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over imagery," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

This incident followed a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – is the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

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

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

As activists confront the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences