The character of Selma Hearst Rose is played by real-life Hearst family heiress Patricia Hearst. Although in the show, the source of the fictionalized "Hearst" family's fortune is a chain of retail stores instead of the publishing empire owned by Patty Hearst's grandfather William Randolph Hearst, this episode contains several references to the real Hearst and her family history. Selma asks Keith Mars if he knows how it feels to be at the center of a national scandal, just as Patty was during her kidnapping, brainwashing, and crimes. Selma's husband is named Budd Rose, a reversal of the key phrase from Citizen Kane (1941) (based on William Randolph Hearst's life). And Patty Hearst's character being named "Selma" is even an oblique reference to her own name, "Patty," since "Patty and Selma" are the names of Marge's two constantly paired sisters on The Simpsons (1989) (Veronica also mentions Simpsons characters Mr. Burns and Smithers during this episode).
After jumping the wall at the Hearst Mansion, Veronica (Kristen Bell) makes a sound effect reminiscent of The Bionic Woman (1976).
Veronica's (Kristen Bell) line "She always gets the replay, never tilts at all" is a reference to a near identical line in The Who's song "Pinball Wizard".
A same sex kiss was originally planned to happen between Selma (Patricia Hearst and Hallie (Keri Lynn Pratt), but The CW would not allow it and provided no explanation. Controversy rose since both UPN and The WB, when they were separate networks, allowed same sex kissing. A possible theory raised was that it was due to the differences in the characters' ages.
The wheelchair-bound Budd (Charles Shaughnessy) having a servant named Brandt is one of several references the series has made to The Big Lebowski (1998).