The Inflatable Sharks at Protests Are a Strategy

A little goofiness counters dark accusations, Gary Shteyngart writes in the New York Times
Posted Oct 20, 2025 7:29 PM CDT
Protesting Sharks Are a Tactic
People gather during a "No Kings" protest Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Chicago.   (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

People planning to attend the No Kings protests Saturday across the country could have issued statements or screamed and shouted to counter Republicans' claims that they're all "Hamas agents or antifa interns" who hate America. Or they could put on their best inflatable shark, frog, horse, chicken, or dinosaur costume and get out there and march. Gary Shteyngart interviewed costumed demonstrators in Chicago about their choices of clothing, and he writes in an opinion piece in the New York Times that there was wisdom in those decisions. It's hard to see someone in a shark costume holding a "Don't take their bait" sign as a threat to national security.

The goofy-looking form of protest is called tactical frivolity, Shteyngart says. "Frivolity and absurdity are kryptonite to authoritarians who project the stern-father archetype to their followers," he writes. "Once the pants are lowered and the undies of the despot are glimpsed, there is no point of return." The costumes helped keep the atmosphere light: An inflatable frog with a man inside wore a cape labeled "Amphifa." What's happening in the US is serious, Shteyngart writes, and to turn it around, "We must harness our best creative, humorous and frivolous selves." His guest essay can be found here.

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