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The revolution won't be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While demonstrations opposing the administration continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.

Mixing levity and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in this period, embraced by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated after video footage of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to protests nationwide.

"A great deal going on with that little inflatable frog," says an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by far-right groups throughout a political race.

Initially, when this image first took off online, people used it to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

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

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

This incident came just days after a decision to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog was now a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a message without obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go 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 purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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