‘I DON’T LIKE ‘EM PUTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT TURN THE FROGS GAY’

-Alex Jones, 2015.

Just a decade ago, the only association frogs had with politics seemed to be a particularly unhinged rant from Alex Jones on InfoWars. Then, Pepe the Frog took a turn, becoming a symbol of Very Online alt-right internet users, despite his creator’s wishes and intentions.

Now, in Portland, inflatable frogs are multiplying, confusing troops and even causing some to stand down or back-off. The frogs even have other inflatable friends, a cross-species event that would only make sense in 2025 America. They’re so effective, distant inflatable frog relatives have begun popping up in Chicago.

A very good article by Sarah Jeong at The Verge suggested that, while the frogs are a positive, American politics has devolved into “shitposting and aura farming.” While, I can understand this perspective, I have a far more optimistic outlook on the inflatable frogs, which I believe are a completely natural (and positive) evolution in American history. America has always been super weird, this is just what super weird looks like in 2025. And here’s why it works so well:

Perhaps the revolution will not be televised, but it certainly could spread on social media. Whether it’s a still or a video, the juxtaposition of twerking inflatable frogs and armed agents instantly resonates. For those eager to share some hope as our increasingly authoritarian government tries to promote hopelessness, the frogs are the perfect way to do so.

Take it from me, trying to make jokes while covering the government’s illegal takeover of American cities is a near impossible task. Many experts have pointed out that these invasions are likely an attempt by Trump, Stephen Miller, and his painted-on hair piece to provoke violence, which would then “justify” further involvement and brute force from the government, as well as implementation of the Insurrection Act. So, what’s the antidote? You don’t want to play into Miller’s hands, but you also don’t want to stand by and do nothing. Enter, inflatable Halloween costumes.

This is why humor is so, so important here. As I’ve written many times before, laughter pierces through the noise. It’s an effective tool for education and for scaring off bullies.

Unfortunately, some people, perhaps in denial, believe the clips of ICE assaulting and kidnapping people are AI-generated. I’ve even seen speculation that a Chicago Presbyterian pastor was not actually shot in the head with a pepper ball (it’s real).

Artificial intelligence seems to be increasingly capable of nearly all forms of video, but it still has its tells. And importantly in this case, AI is based off of already existing video. How many videos are there of dancing inflatable frogs at night? I haven’t seen any until this last week.

I am certain the first inflatable Portland frog was not thinking about AI when they began dry-humping Portland air, however, it’s not something AI can easily replicate.

Why Portland? Why Chicago? Why D.C.? Why now? We can only guess what’s going on under Stephen Miller’s spray-painted hair, but none of the reasons seem rational or well-meaning. Watching these videos takes air out of Trump’s arguments that these cities are violent. And so, it’s the inflatable frogs and men in chicken suits (see video below) that are here to bring us crashing back down to the reality most Americans still occupy.

As I mentioned in Friday’s newsletter, the news is quickly becoming a lot. You can only watch so many people be kidnapped by masked agents in unmarked vehicles before it starts to get to you. But I’ve been stabilized by inflatable frogs. It’s reminding me just how important comedy is to resisting fascism. We’ve been making a lot of 1930s Germany comparisons in our videos lately, so let me pull out a more fun comparison:

Nazi Germany hated Charlie Chaplin (in part, because so many Germans liked him). They even criticized Chaplin in a 1934 book called The Jews Are Looking at You, complaining about how unfunny he was. Sound familiar?

Then, Chaplin released The Great Dictator, a scathing satire of Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The film has “sophomoric jokes,” but that’s by design. The person Chaplin is imitating is a ridiculous person, and so he deserved ridiculous jokes at his expense. The film is silly, heartfelt, strange and effective all at once. Whatever you want to call it these days, memes, shitposting, or another “peak” Gen Alpha word I’ve yet to learn - we are in a very important moment, and humor can help to pull us out, or at least raise awareness to what’s happening.

America needs this silliness more than ever, not just to laugh, but to ridicule those unjustly seizing power and doing harm to others … and also to make fun of billionaires who think that Greta Thunberg is working for the Antichrist.