- A sign says “In loving memory of Ubu,” the mascot of UBU Productions which produced shows such as Family Ties.
- After he is fired from his job at The New Yorker, Brian encounters a “No Dogs Allowed” sign, hears a booming voice enforcing the rule and then lays on top of a doghouse. This parodies the Peanuts character Snoopy in the 1972 film Snoopy, Come Home.
- Chris says he saw an after-school special about dropping out of college and that “it didn’t work out too well for Kristy McNichol. But then again, nothing did.” McNichol, star of the 1970s drama Family, has been out of the spotlight.
- When Stewie points out to Brian that “lots of people cheat,” the scene cuts to Ashlee Simpson’s infamous performance on the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Jude Law where she gets caught lip-synching and dances awkwardly before leaving the stage.[1] The background music, however, is Paul Robeson performing “Ol’ Man River” from the musical Show Boat.
- Looking at the scoreboard when Brian and Stewie are at the Brown University football game, you can see the opposing team to be “the Board of Education” a reference to the notable court case Brown v. Board of Education, which declared unconstitutional the segregation of public schools.
- The scene where Stewie falls to the floor, legs twitching just within frame with the camera still running after seeing Meg undress through his video camera is reminiscent of the final scene in the horror film The Blair Witch Project.
- The college dating video featuring Kelly McGillis is a nod to her being the victim of a rape in 1982, which inspired her to act the role of the prosecutor for a rape victim in the film The Accused.[2]
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