How Right-Wing Meme to Anti-ICE Symbol: This Surprising Story of the Amphibian

The protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the government continue in US cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers watch.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that little inflatable frog," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When this image initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control icons," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when an incident between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

This incident came just days after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

Although a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for the left.

This symbol appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

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

When activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences