 Burns's walk through the supermarket was based on a false rumor that George H. W. Bush visited a store and was confused by the scanner and, in the original draft for the episode, Burns met Bush while there. When bidding farewell to the hippie Mr. Burns says "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" a reference to Pink Floyd's song of the same name. The hippie responds by saying that Burns needs to stop living in the past. The voice of the hippie is based on Dennis Hopper's character in Apocalypse Now. "Achy Breaky Heart", a song by Billy Ray Cyrus, is played at the old folks' home. The scene where Mr. Burns chases Lisa through town is a spoof of the opening to the TV series That Girl. The scene where Lisa runs through the streets proclaiming recycling as evil spoofs the finales of Soylent Green and the original The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
