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This revolution isn't 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.

While protests opposing the government carry on in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as police observe.

Combining comedy and politics – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after video footage of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, spread online. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"There is much going on with that humble blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character gained popularity on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

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

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his experiences with companions.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Previously, the notoriety of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The deployment was stopped legally soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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