The first episode following the release of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999). Trey Parker and Matt Stone said on the DVD commentary that they were so exhausted from making the movie that they didn't even remember making this episode.
A picture of what looks to be the stuffed frog from The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka (1998) can be seen in the classroom.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone indicated in the DVD commentary that the panda is actually Santa Claus from The Spirit of Christmas (1992), as they have the same voice.
Gerald's commercials come straight from the Larry H. Parker commercials seen in Southern California: an African-American says, "Larry H. Parker got me $2.1 million." Bebe's spot comes from the commercial in which this man sits proudly on his motorcycle as he says this.
This is the first appearance of Skeeter, owner of Skeeter's Bar and Cocktails and his friends.