The remake of Lady and the Tramp will be different from the 1955 original, and not just because it's a live-action film: The reboot will feature a new interpretation of "The Siamese Cat Song," originally written and performed by Peggy Lee.
The track—whose chorus is "We are Siamese if you please / We are Siamese if you don't please"—is sung by conniving felines Si and Am, and has long been considered to be perpetuating racist Asian stereotypes.
Janelle Monae, who is lending her voice to the live-action update, is "reinventing" the song, according to Variety. The Grammy winner is working with Wondaland collective members Nate "Rocket" Wonder and Roman GianArthur on a new take on the pair and their signature song.
As Disney continues to plunder its archives, questions about past representations continue to arise—from Uncle Remus in Song of the South and Dumbo's Jim Crow to Peter Pan's "Piccaninny-tribe" princess, Tiger Lily. In Tramp, Si and Am are presented with thick accents, slanted eyes and buck teeth, deviously mess up the house, knowing Aunt Sarah will blame Lady instead.
"Si and Am move in perfect symmetry; they have no individuality; their innocent blue eyes bend into a sinister glare as they cave at the slant," wrote Marcus Hunter in a 2013 Flavorwire article. "They are jaundiced and sly; sick and feral; domesticated, though nevertheless propelled by their mischievous, impish nature to deceive and intimidate."
According to Variety, the cats will not be Siamese in the new version of the movie. In addition, Extras star Ashley Jensen will play Jackie, a gender-swapped version of the original's Scottish terrier, Jock.
Lady & the Tramp follows "an upper-middle-class American cocker spaniel named Lady who meets a streetsmart, downtown stray mongrel called the Tramp [as they] embark on many romantic adventures, including that iconic spaghetti smooch scene."
Coming to the Disney+ streaming service on November 12, 2019, the live-action Lady & the Tramp stars Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux in the title roles, with additional voice work by Sam Elliott (Trusty), Ashley Jensen (Jackie), Benedict Wong (Bull) and Janelle Monáe (Peg).
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