The Controversial Legacy Of Si And Am: Why Lady And The Tramp’s Siamese Cats Were Replaced In The 2019 Remake

The story of the Siamese cats from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp is one of the most contentious and widely discussed topics in animation history, representing a significant cultural misstep from the studio's golden era. For decades, the characters Si and Am, and their infamous song, "The Siamese Cat Song" (also known as "We Are Siamese"), have been cited as a prime example of harmful, racist stereotyping in classic cinema. This controversy is not a relic of the past; it remains a focal point in discussions about media representation, leading Disney to take dramatic steps to address the issue in its modern adaptations.

As of December 2025, the conversation is more relevant than ever, especially with the 2019 live-action remake providing a definitive, modern solution to the problematic characters. The decision to completely cut the original cats and their song from the Disney+ film highlights a major shift in how the studio handles its legacy content, replacing the dated caricature with entirely new characters and a fresh musical number.

The Original Sin: Biography of Si and Am and The Siamese Cat Song

The original Siamese cats, Si and Am, are perhaps the most infamous minor villains in the 1955 animated classic, Lady and the Tramp. Their brief but memorable scene is central to the film’s plot, directly causing the heroine, Lady, to be muzzled and putting her on a path to meet Tramp.

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• Names: Si and Am
• Film Debut: Lady and the Tramp (1955)
• Owner: Aunt Sarah, the stern, cat-loving relative who comes to babysit Lady’s owners’ baby.
• Voice Actor: Both characters were famously voiced by the legendary singer-songwriter Peggy Lee.
• Infamous Song: "The Siamese Cat Song" (or "We Are Siamese")
• Controversy: The characters are widely criticized for embodying racist stereotypes of East Asian people. Their slanted eyes, buck teeth, and conniving, "sneaky" personalities, coupled with the song's faux-Asian musical scale and lyrics, are seen as a caricature of Asian culture.
• Plot Role: They frame Lady for their own destructive mischief, leading Aunt Sarah to buy a muzzle for Lady.

The sequence begins when Aunt Sarah brings her mischievous pets into the home. The cats immediately target Lady, wreaking havoc in the nursery and destroying the fishbowl while singing their catchy, yet problematic, tune. The song's lyrics, which include phrases like "We are Siamese if you please" and "We are from a residence of Siam," reinforce their foreign, 'other' status and their intent to cause trouble. This scene is so culturally charged that the original 1955 film on the Disney+ streaming service now includes a content warning about "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures."

The Cultural Reckoning: Why Disney Had to Intervene

The controversy surrounding Si and Am is a case study in how cultural perspectives on media representation evolve over time. While the 1955 film was a box-office success, modern audiences and critics have consistently highlighted the scene as one of Disney's most egregious examples of racial stereotyping. The cats are not just villains; they are villains whose characterization relies heavily on offensive, xenophobic tropes.

The decision to address this in the 2019 live-action remake was not a matter of choice for Disney, but a necessity for a major studio committed to contemporary values of diversity and inclusion. The "Siamese Cat Song" was deemed too problematic to simply re-record or slightly alter. It was intrinsically linked to the visual and behavioral stereotypes that were being rejected.

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The studio's solution was a complete narrative and creative overhaul. Instead of attempting to sanitize the original characters, Disney chose to replace them entirely. This move was a clear acknowledgment of the original’s flaws and a commitment to producing a film free of racial caricatures. The public reception to this change was overwhelmingly positive, recognizing it as a necessary and responsible decision for a family-friendly film in the 21st century.

Devon and Rex: The New Cats and the Janelle Monáe Solution

For the 2019 live-action version of Lady and the Tramp, which debuted on Disney+, the entire Aunt Sarah cat sequence was reimagined. This new version features a more nuanced and less culturally insensitive portrayal of the feline antagonists. The change was spearheaded by the involvement of Grammy-nominated artist Janelle Monáe, who was tasked with producing new music for the film.

The New Feline Duo

In the 2019 remake, Aunt Sarah's pets are no longer identical Siamese cats named Si and Am. They are two different breeds of cats, named Devon and Rex. Their names are a nod to actual cat breeds—the Devon Rex and the Cornish Rex—making them a subtle, yet clever, update that removes the problematic geographical and cultural association.

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• New Names: Devon and Rex
• New Song Title: "What a Shame"
• Replacement Song Artist: Janelle Monáe
• Voice Actors (New): The new cats were voiced by Nate Wonder and Roman GianArthur, members of Janelle Monáe’s creative collective, Wondaland.
• New Plot Role: The cats still cause trouble for Lady, but their antics are less malicious and more focused on general feline mischief, framed by the new musical number.

The Song Replacement: "What a Shame"

The most significant change was the replacement of "The Siamese Cat Song" with a completely new track titled "What a Shame." This song, co-written and produced by Janelle Monáe, is a bluesy, jazzy number that is structurally similar to the original scene's musical interlude but completely devoid of the problematic racial undertones. Monáe also contributed a cover of "He’s a Tramp" and voiced the Pekingese dog Peg in the film, further cementing her role in modernizing the soundtrack.

The new song and characters successfully serve the same narrative purpose—creating conflict for Lady that leads to her muzzle and subsequent adventure—but they do so without relying on outdated and offensive stereotypes. This decision has become a benchmark for how classic, yet controversial, Disney properties can be successfully updated for a global, modern audience. The Devon and Rex cats, and their song "What a Shame," represent a positive evolution in Disney’s storytelling, prioritizing respect and cultural sensitivity over strict adherence to the original source material.

Topical Entities and Keywords (LSI)

The enduring discussion around Si and Am touches upon several key entities and themes, including:

• Original Film: Lady and the Tramp (1955), Walt Disney, Peggy Lee, Siamese breed, Cocker Spaniel (Lady), Schnauzer-mix (Tramp), Trusty, Jock.
• Controversy: Racial Stereotypes, East Asian Caricature, Cultural Sensitivity, Xenophobia, Disney Classics Content Warning.
• Modern Adaptation: Lady and the Tramp (2019 live-action remake), Disney+, Janelle Monáe, Nate Wonder, Roman GianArthur, Devon and Rex, "What a Shame," Aunt Sarah.