Rick Johnson knows how easy it is to cave to helplessness and despair during these dark times. To ask oneself: What difference can I possibly make?
Yet Johnson has so far never yielded to such feelings. The Red Wing, Minn., resident estimates he has been out at the federal Whipple Building in Minneapolis protesting the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at least 50 times.
Yet before leaving his Red Wing home, Johnson performs a ritual different from all others: He dons a green body-length costume — to emerge as Minnesota Pickle Rick.
Some may question whether such offbeat humor — when clashes between protesters and federal agents have resulted in two shootings, including the death of Renee Good — is an entirely appropriate response to these deadly earnest times.
What motivates him? Outrage? Anger? Absurdity? Johnson is as serious as a heart attack.
“I do question: What good am I dressed up as a pickle? But as soon as I go out there and get the reaction and people, you know, loving it, it gets me going,” Johnson said.
Johnson began protesting at the Whipple building back in August at the first hint that the Trump administration planned to surge ICE agents into Minnesota. After the killing of Good, he has been out there nearly every day. He hasn’t discounted the possibility of demonstrating in other states once ICE pulls up stakes and leaves — whenever that might be.
“This has to come to an end,” Johnson said about ICE’s operations. “We have to show that as a nation that we will not put up with this. We were founded by immigrants.”
It may not be obvious, but wearing a ridiculous costume has its advantages from a message standpoint.
It relaxes people. It causes people to laugh, to be disarmed, to drop their guard. Recently, Fox News was panning a crowd of protesters when it stopped and paused on Johnson. A guy wearing a pickle suit is hard to ignore. It provides an opening, an opportunity to get your message out.
“I’ve been vocal (in past protests) and very few people are listening. But some people will listen to a person wearing a ridiculous costume,” he said.
Johnson’s brand of politically pointed humor falls into a rich comedic tradition. Johnson was raised in much of that milieu, from “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” to the zany films of Mel Brooks. Yet a lot of people were exposed to such influences and don’t feel the urge to wear a pickle outfit.
This is where Johnson differs from others. Growing up in Owatonna, Minn., Johnson always loved dressing up. Halloween has always been his favorite holiday. His closet was filled with his favorite costumes. Johnson is also part of the Geek Partnership Society, an organization that hosts sci-fi fantasy conventions. In other words, Johnson is comfortable wearing strange outfits.
Not that Johnson is able to disarm everybody with his antics. Last week, Johnson was wearing his green costume when he was kicked out of Target Center, where the Minnesota Timberwolves were hosting a game. When he went outside to protest, he was criticized by some and told to let ICE do its work. But no one has just been out-and-out hostile to him.
A contractor for a mental health agency, Johnson said his inspiration for his cosplay comes from the Adult Swim Cartoon Network animated series “Rick and Morty,” where one of the main characters, Rick, turns into a pickle to fight a fascist regime.
Johnson’s central message? You can protest in your own way.
“You don’t have to be out in the street. You can help make signs. You can be vocal, make food. You can always protest in your own way. If you want to wear a silly costume and come out, much appreciated,” he said.
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