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

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst rallies against the leadership continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as police watch.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in this period, used by both left and right.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began when recordings of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that small inflatable frog," says an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme initially spread on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

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

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident came just days after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. 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 like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to your ideas without needing directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

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

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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