When dogs have a more exciting love life than I do

This week, we take a break from magic and fantasy worlds to watch a movie about Earth’s most wonderful creatures: dogs! Lady and the Tramp is your classic romance with class differences. Lady is a cocker spaniel who lives in a nice neighborhood, with two humans who care for her in their gorgeous house. Tramp (yes, the main character in this kids movie is named Tramp) is a mutt and stray dog, roaming around town just trying to survive. She’s sheltered, he’s cynical; they meet, they fall in love, tale as old as time. This was definitely a movie I watched as a kid, though it was never a big fave.

The movie is based on a story that was originally published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1945 – I know Cosmo was different back then but, still, weird source material for a kids flick. When it premiered, reviews were pretty mixed – some panned the animation, some enjoyed the more muted styles compared to the past few films; some didn’t think the plot with both serious and silly elements worked, while others liked the mix. Overall, it seems that there was an agreement that this was not Disney’s best work. Now, the film is generally looked upon as an enjoyable classic, with quite a bit of praise for the romance and the music. And, of course, the spaghetti scene is iconic.

The film got a direct-to-video sequel in 2001 centered around Lady and Tramp’s son, Scamp. There was also a live-action remake made for Disney+ which released last November, starring Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux. Lady and Tramp’s images can be found all over the Disney parks in the form of statues, topiaries, and merchandise. There is also a restaurant in Magic Kingdom in Orlando called Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, based on the Italian restaurant that hosts Lady and Tramp’s romantic dinner for two – you can even see the couple’s footprints in cement outside the restaurant.

Let’s go out and explore this film!

My thoughts on Lady and the Tramp:

• I love that this movie is dedicated to all dogs
• What year does this movie take place? The wife’s dress looks old
• How long was Lady in that box for lol
• Aww baby puppy
• Noooo don’t keep poor baby puppy in the kitchen
• Now she’s crying look what you did jim!!!
• gosh darn it Jim
• Why does the wife keeping asking Jim for approval? He gave Lady to her as HER gift, why doesn’t she just say, “yo Jim, let’s keep the dog with us for now. go to bed and calm down”
• “Just for the night” haha okay
• I mean why get a dog if you’re NOT going to love it people?
• Aww she gets slippers she’s so good!!!
• And Jim’s still complaining smh
• Do dogs actually bury bones? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog bury anything, but then again, I haven’t been lucky enough to have a dog
• Lady caught that paper with finesse
• She is the best doggo!
• Jim just gave Lady coffee…Can dogs drink coffee?
• This is like when Jessica gave her dog wine on Love is Blind
• Why did they wait so long to get her a collar?
• I love their house it’s so pretty, I’ve always wanted to live in a Victorian style house
• hahaha the Scottish terrier is Scottish
• I want a movie on Trusty – going from being used to solve crimes and “track criminals” to losing his sense of smell, the one thing that made him capable of doing his job, and dealing with moving on in life
• But also how are they implying that Trusty doesn’t know he can’t smell anymore???
• What’s a dog license? Can Lady drive?
• That’s nice of the Italian restaurant owner to be so friendly and feed Tramp
• Forget about the heroes and the princesses, I think the best Disney characters are these restaurateurs
• You know, I have never seen a dog catcher in my life but tv shows and movies make them seem so dangerous and common
• I really love the friendship between Lady, Jock, and Trusty; I think it’s underrated. They are all super nice and supportive of each other, and I love how Jock and Trusty are ready to defend Lady when she’s upset
• Aww, I hate that Lady thinks she did something wrong
• I think it’s so cute that she calls them “Jim Dear and Darling” because that’s what they call each other
• “That dog” RUDE
• You shouldn’t have gotten a dog if you didn’t want to walk a dog jerk!
• She’s not even that pregnant! Like, she can walk
• They’re a young couple, they probably knew they were going to have a kid soon, if they weren’t prepared to take care of a child and a dog at the same time, they shouldn’t have gotten the dog
• I’m getting very heated and upset about this fictional couple, but they are just both so wrong for neglecting their poor dog
• Jim and Darling don’t have a closed off yard? So worried about the pregnant wife moving an inch, but keep the yard open so anyone can walk in and rob the place, fantastic
• Tramp is really scaring Lady, but not everything he’s saying is an exaggeration – Jim and Darling have already been neglectful and kids DO attack animals
• Honestly, if I have kids and a dog at the same time, I think I’m probably gonna end up taking my dog’s side most of the time
• The sad part is he probably knows a few dogs that have ended up on the street or in the shelter because their owners got rid of them when they had kids
• I’d like to state that while bad child-havers and pet-owners exist, I do know that there are a lot of good people/couples who can handle both
• My baby cousin and their family german shephard are the best of friends and watching the two of them interact (so big, so smol) is the cutest gosh darn thing I’ve ever seen in my life
• It was a dark and stormy night when the child arrived hahaha
• “Doctor, it’s a boy” “Yes, I know” hahaha
• Ugh I’m not a fan of Jim Dear but it’s hard not to enjoy his excitement over the birth of his child
• OMG baby bottles were like beakers 
• I will say, this movie does a great job of portraying life from Lady’s perspective, especially with the baby – it seems so mysterious that even as a kid who had been around babies, I was still like “ooh, what IS that thing upstairs?”
• Aww Jim is helping Lady look at the baby
• Her little tail is wagging!!!
• They are a cute family!
• Where are they going so soon?
• Lady is so protective of the baby! She’s so sweet
• Oh here come the racists cats
• UGH i HATED Aunt Sarah as a kid and i HATE her now
• Lady is a calm dog, how do you get so anxious over her?
• Especially since she has her own pets….Lady is not much bigger than them
• This poor fish
• Poor Lady!!!
• A muzzle?! Ugh I’ve never wanted to physically fight a Disney character as much as I want to fight this old woman
• Oh no, Lady!
• These aggressive dogs are scary
• Tramp to the rescue!
• He’s scrappy for a thin little thing

Lady ditching Aunt Sarah to explore the town with Tramp:

• Hahaha Tramp is a great scammer
• Tramp sounds like he’s on QVC or something trying to sell this muzzle
• Lady and the Tramp just scammed this nice beaver
• Oh well, I guess if it works
• So did Tramp find seven different families who are cool with giving scraps to a stray dog? That’s a very friendly neighborhood
• I LOVE these Italian dudes who cater to dogs
• They’re hyping up Tramp, going all out to make them a nice dinner for their date
• This movie literally has (in my opinion) the absolute worst AND the absolute best Disney characters: demonic, trash Aunt Sarah; and absolutely angelic, God-tier Tony and his chef
• Do dogs like spaghetti??
• And now they’re playing music for them lmfao they’re so extra
• Don’t they have a restaurant to run???
• Actually, I don’t care, the customers can suffer and go hungry, this is important
• Here it comes!
• Aww the spaghetti kiss
• I feel like that would be gross irl
• Aww he gives her the last meatball
• Lady’s like f that kid and that aunt im living my best life! Fine dining! Stroll in the moonlight!
• I don’t get why he wants her to leave her comfortable life behind-i mean, i do, but like he KNOWS that it’s not better on the streets
• “who’ll watch over the baby” Lady is such a good dog
• And now LOOK you got her arrested
• Tramp clearly does not have lady’s best interests at heart
• WHY would they take her to the pound and not home she has collar
• Ahh!!! All these sad dogs are making me tear up!! This is as bad as the Sarah McLachlan commercial!!!
• In the arms of an angel….
• Did they just use these dog designs for the ones in Oliver and Company?? Cuz they look very similar
• OH MY GOD THEY SHOWED A DOG WALKING TO THEIR DEATH

Me about this dog that I’ve known for literally ten seconds:

• I don’t wanna watch this movie anymore, I hate it here
• Disney movies aren’t supposed to have deaths!!!!
• “I only hope he stays that way” …but why? I get the notion of “I love him despite this behavior” but if he’s breaking hearts and is a scoundrel, wouldn’t you WANT the behavior to change?
• This kids movie just threw dog killing and sleeping around at the audience
• I feel like I have whiplash
• Aww Jock and Trusty are offering for Lady to come live with them, supporting your friend and helping them get out of their abusive home, LOVE to see it
• Lady and her friends with the group shade yass I also love to see that
• Team shade is a powerful thing and if you haven’t experienced it (in the sense of you and your crew shading someone else) you’re quite frankly missing out
• Jock and Trusty ready to throw hands and they’re valid
• YOU GOT HER ARRESTED TRAMP GTFO
• This movie has me feeling stronger emotions than I thought it would
• “Trick” oh boy
• Go AWF Miss Lady!!!
• FINALLY a female Disney character lets out her rage I’ve been waiting!!!!
• I love how rats are depicted as feral violent creatures like??
• It’s not gonna attack the baby?
• And a dog could totally take a rat wtf this isn’t even a thrilling fight
• This animation team flew all the way to South America but they clearly have never been to New York City
• Them knocking over the baby’s crib was more harmful than the rat
• It kinda stinks that Tramp got to be the hero when it was Lady’s family
• And yeah, I like that it redeems him and he’s putting his life (which, again ridiculous, it’s a small rat, but I’ll go with it) on the line because Lady’s tied up, but I wish Lady could have helped a bit more

Me every time Aunt Sarah tells Lady to be quiet:

• Lord, grant me the ability to blue-skadoo into this movie so I can beat Aunt Sarah with that broom
• I have NO qualms about fighting an old woman when it’s this old woman
• Wait Sarah was sleeping…the mom and dad are coming home in the middle of the night??
• Was she asleep at 5pm?
• Aunt Sarah is so afraid of a freaking cocker spaniel
• “She’s trying to tell us something” come through Jim Dear
• Jock and Trusty going out to help Tramp, they are so good! They can get God-tier status as well
• Attacking the carriage, Jock and Trusty are ride or die!
• Okay, Jim Dear, it took you all movie, but racing to get to the dog pound to save Tramp officially gets you on my good side
• Oh my god did Trusty literally DIE?!
• Aww they have a puppy family!!!!
• The puppies and the baby!! My heart
• Maybe this family isn’t terrible after all
• Oh thank god Trusty is ok!
• Jim Dear welcoming Jock and Trusty into the parlor and offering them refreshments is honestly me towards dogs
• I don’t care if she gave the dogs gifts, Aunt Sarah can keep her biscuits and stick em where the sun don’t shine
• That’s sweet that they adopted Tramp…what did they name him?
• Why did Trusty and Jock’s owners never come over??
• Do Jim and Darling not like the owners and only the dogs? Because that’s valid, too
• “Uncle Trusty” *heart eyes for these pups*
• Well alls well that ends well, love a family of good friends
• Merry Christmas!!!

You know, I did enjoy Lady and the Tramp more watching as an adult. As a kid I found it a bit boring, and while the middle certainly slows down, I have more of an appreciation for the story. I like the romance between Lady and Tramp – it’s not as idealistic as most Disney romances. I like that they’re different, and like them both as characters alone; they both have great qualities and flaws, which makes them well-developed characters. And I definitely had much stronger emotions watching this movie than I anticipated – I don’t think a Disney villain has ever made me as angry as Aunt Sarah. And the dogs in the pound? Heartbreaking!! Also, I’m glad Jim Dear and Darling became better dog owners in the end, I definitely felt like they were redeemed. I’m gonna give one final shout-out to Tony and the chef (I don’t remember his name, I’m sorry chef!) because their devotion to making Tramp and Lady happy makes them true Disney heroes and icons, and they are both just *chefs kiss* I haven’t seen the new version (the “live-action” renderings of the dogs creep me out, tbh) but I’m more open to watching it now. Okay, now I gotta go find a dog to cuddle…

Let me know if you have thoughts on Lady and the Tramp (or just want to talk about how awesome dogs are) in the comments. Next week, it’s back to magic and fantasy with Sleeping Beauty!