From Right-Wing Symbol to Resistance Emblem: The Surprising Transformation of the Amphibian

The revolution may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

As protests opposing the leadership continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Blending comedy and politics – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started after recordings of an encounter between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that little inflatable frog," says a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that creators cannot own symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment followed a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

The link between both frogs together – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that calls attention to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic 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, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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