From Conservative Meme to Resistance Icon: The Unexpected Evolution of the Amphibian

The resistance isn't televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While protests against the administration carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the vibe of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Blending humour and politics – an approach social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated after a video of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that little frog costume," says a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups during a political race.

When this image first took off on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with companions.

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

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

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

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she wrote. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and troops are said to have left the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without needing directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

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 the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

When protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences