This episode contains many meta references to the Primetime Emmy Awards. The banter at the bar that wins all the awards is a parody of multi-camera sitcoms that take the comedy categories of the Emmys by storm every year. Frank also makes reference to dramas that get all the awards when he says of a new bar "there aren't a lot of people there, but there's a lot of period costumes."
Charlie's Paddy Pub song lyrics are:
Well, they say the world's your oyster,
Man, but oysters ain't for me,
You're the belle of the ball,
But you ain't my cup of tea,
They always vote you Best in Show,
But this doggie disagrees,
'Cause I like life at Paddy's Pub...,
There's a place for me,
It's the place I go,
Where the beer is cheap,
And the lights are low,
It's Paddy's Pub,
I like Paddy's Pub,
Let the record show,
The greatest place to go,
Is that bar called Paddy's Pub...,
(harmonica solo)
I like life at Paddy's Pub,
In this episode, Dennis tries to trick people with a fake storyline of "will they, won't they" between Mac and Dee. The actors who play them, Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olsen are married in real life.
Fringe reference:
After meeting with the guy from the restaurant and bar association, the gang says they're not vibrating at the same frequency as that guy and Dennis says it's because they're too "Fringe". Alternate universes vibrating at a different frequency was part of the plot in the TV show Fringe (2008).