When Marge beats up her mugger it mirrors The Godfather when Sonny Corleone beats up his sister's boyfriend with the fire hydrant and the black rails.
Marks the first time in ten years that actress Pamela Reed voices the character of Ruth. This is the longest lapse in time a guest actor has gone without performing the voice of a character, despite the fact she is seen in many episodes since her first appearance.
Marks the first time 'Eye on Springfield' has been seen since Simpsons' fourth season, showcasing the same title sequence as before. This is notable as Season 14 was produced with digital animation, whereas the degrade in quality seen in the title sequence was due to the fact that up to Season 13, the show was still being produced in traditional cel animation, so it was obvious stock footage was used.
When the mailman grabs the Twilight Zone magazine, and puts his glasses on only to realize they're broken, this is an homage to the classic "Twilight Zone" episode Time Enough at Last.