Hasbro, the owner of G.I. Joe (1985), gave permission for the parody. As such, the creators were able to use real GI-JOE names and characters like Destro and Cobra Commander. Even the theme song is the real one from the GI-JOE cartoon (with a few joke lyrics added).
Chang is reminded that he is Chinese, but states, "I feel Korean." Ken Jeong is of Korean descent in real life.
The cast recorded their voiceovers three weeks before the episode's airing. The animation was finished days before airing.
Abed's line "you're still 18 to 49 for almost a decade" is a reference to the range of ages of viewers that most shows aim to attract.
When presenting the G.I. Joe rejects in the prison cell, the last character Annie mentions is "Sleep Apnea." This character resembles and is voiced by Dan Harmon, the creator of the show.