The episode begins with a small, squirrel-like creature attempting to eat an acorn. This is a reference to the 'Ice Age' movies released by 20th Century Fox and the popular character, Scrat.
The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.
One of the names Homer suggests for Frink's invention is "Remembrance of Things Fast," a reference to 'Remembrance of Things Past,' the famous novel by Marcel Proust.