In the season finale of season four, Murphy Brown gave birth to her child, Avery. Around that time Vice President Dan Quayle, during a televised debate, criticized the show for introducing the theme of an unmarried woman having a child and thereby promoting the idea of single motherhood and the decay of family values, a hot issue during that year's election campaigning.
The producers and writers retaliated in the 60-minute season premiere which aired 21 September 1992. The clip from the debate was featured prominently in the episode (entitled "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato") and the majority of the writing made fun of VP Quayle's remarks (To his credit, Vice President Quayle later sent the fictional baby Avery a very real plush toy elephant.)