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The revolution isn't broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the leadership carry on in US cities, participants have embraced the vibe of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Mixing humour and political action – a tactic social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when a video of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that little blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme initially spread online, people used it to express specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, even a particular image shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he said the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, 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 symbols," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event occurred shortly after an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

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

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

As activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences