The Journey of Conservative Icon to Anti-ICE Emblem: The Remarkable Evolution of the Frog

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

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

As protests opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining comedy and political action – a tactic experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to protests nationwide.

"There is much at play with that little inflatable frog," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

When the meme gained popularity online, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent deployed a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was illegal.

Although a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts 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 "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog was now a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling the Optics

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

The tactic is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. 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 multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

When activists take on the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences