“Ripped to Shreds” is a biweekly column by Jaxon Havens about fashion politics.
Ribbit. Ribbit. That’s the sound of the revolution.
At last week’s No Kings Day protests, swaths of protestors across the U.S. found themselves walking hand-in-hand with larger-than-life frogs and giant babies, as many protestors opted to wear large inflatable costumes. The crowds looked quite fantastic and outrageous, with a vibrancy and playfulness that tempered the serious discontent being voiced in response to the government’s growing inclination to fascism.
The big inflatable frogs did not originate from the No Kings Day demonstrations. As ICE protests in Portland, Oregon gained momentum, conflicts between protestors and law enforcement drastically escalated. On October 2nd, one man, Seth Todd, showed up to the protest outside Portland’s ICE headquarters in an inflatable frog suit. A federal agent sprayed pepper spray into his air vent, and the video of the affair went viral. In response to this act of brutality, more protestors dressed in inflatable frog suits in the following days. Protestors across the country took up this kind of silly costumery as a form of resistance. The frogs became an anti-fascist, or anti-Trump, symbol. And on No Kings Day, the ranks of these anti-fascist frogs were joined by unicorns, dinosaurs, and a litany of other creatures.
Molly Olmstead, for Slate, interviewed several costumed protestors, who shared that the heat and bodily discomfort of marching in the costumes made it very challenging. Still persisting with their sartorial choice, the costumed protestors brought an air of comedy to the event. One man in an inflatable baby costume did a vocal impression of Trump during the protest. The Pillsbury Dough Boy marched with an American flag. Yet these costumes were not merely comic relief. They effectively signaled nonviolence during the march. Olmstead describes the costumes’ nonviolent appearance in that they were “unwieldy walking cushions, literally incapable of fighting or posing any kind of threat to anyone.” Protestors believed that to resist the violence of fascism, one must present themselves as the opposite—something completely docile. The costumes worked to disprove the misconception that these protests were disorderly and violent. One of the frogs at the protest, Mike, succinctly summed up the whole affair: “‘There’s nothing more innocuous and harmless than a frog, right?’”
Although these costumes brought an air of levity to the event, they also performed a serious role by providing a disguise to their wearers. Engulfed in a large inflatable suit, protestors could express themselves without being easily identified—a practice that underscores the lengths protestors must go to to safely exercise what should be an entitlement of free speech. With concerns over retaliation to political opposition in the current administration becoming especially more prevalent and viable, the inflatable costume acts as a shield to protect the identity of the individual beneath.
In hindsight, the cultural impact of the frog suits is undeniable. Ahead of the No Kings protests, the Detroit Free Press forecasted—as if the costumes were a natural disaster—“Inflatable animal costumes expected to hit metro Detroit No Kings protests.” One Valley Junction shop owner noted that a boom in inflatable costume sales has happened, although the closeness of the protests to Halloween complicates any attribution of this boom to the protests alone, as reported in the Des Moines Register. Yet, it is reasonable that buyers of costumes for the No Kings Day protests may also, inevitably, reuse said costumes for the October holiday.
While this may seem like a freak incident of amphibious rebellion, it is reminiscent of many viral videos of large frog-costumed individuals facing off with police officers in China that blew up over the last few years. In many of these clips, individuals wearing large frog costumes carried a stick with many small frog-shaped balloons attached. Acting as street vendors, people joked that they were “frogs selling their babies” (卖崽青蛙). While other pop culture images of frogs, such as “Pepe the Frog,” are well known to Chinese netizens, the costumed frogs perform a different kind of spectacle. They are chased by policemen and members of “urban management” for offenses like riding a scooter without a helmet and selling frog balloons without a permit. As the frogs violate very commonplace administrative regulations, it is reasonable to think of these sketch videos as a comedic expression of annoyance with the social control and regulatory strictness in China.
In this way, it is clear that these large inflatable costumes have a longer history as a political symbol. Yet one question remains: what makes frogs so special?
Mike the frog from D.C. believes it is about the innocence and playfulness of frogs. Chinese netizens found frogs to be pitiable figures of self deprecation, which mapped onto the everyday struggles of the citizenry. Yet, what’s most important is that frogs are also amphibious. They are adaptable. Evolved to camouflage. With big, bulbous eyes that seem to always be watching. Whether on land or in the water, they survive and multiply, with some laying up to thousands of eggs at a time. When sensing danger, like when a human child scoops one up, they are ready to urinate all over the place and hop away. Considering this, one is bound to understand that protestors would seek the resilience of frogs, or further, conclude that resistance is itself quite an amphibious thing.
While this Halloween it may be tempting to go as a sexy L. Ron Hubbard, or an un-sexy Nightwing, you may want to think about joining the ranks of the frogs around you. At the very least, take note of how many frogs and inflatable costumes you see this year. Those frogs may have just been marching against fascism.