The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson/References

Trivia

 * After the September 11 attacks, the episode was pulled from rotation due to the prominence of the World Trade Center towers. After a few years, the episode came back, though some airings deleted all the scenes of Homer near the Twin Towers (including his bathroom rush to both towers) or left them in and cut out the line, "They stick all the jerks in Tower One." This is particularly sensitive because in 1993, Tower One (the North Tower) was the site of the initial bombing, and in the 2001 attacks, Tower One was the first to be hit and the tower where the most people were killed or trapped.
 * The writers on the DVD commentary have mentioned how dated this episode has become following 9/11, and regret using the "jerks in Tower One" line.
 * This is one of several episodes with a title in the style of a court case. (Homer vs. Dignity, Homer vs. Patty and Selma, etc.) However, Homer's name is listed second in this one when it is normally first.
 * In this episode a New York civilian tosses a coin in front of Homer, leaving Homer to respond "I'm not a bum". However, the subplot of Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore revolves around Homer posing as a bum and stealing the attention of real bums.
 * Marge tells Homer they will meet in Central Park. However, it is 843 acres big so there are many places where they can meet.
 * The lookout is on 107th floor.

Cultural References

 * Jurassic Park - The way the bowl of peanuts starts to vibrate as the Duffmobile approaches references the 1993 film, particularly the cup of water vibrating when the Tyrannosaurus Rex approaches.
 * The music that plays as Duffman enters the bar is "Oh Yeah" by Yello.
 * Homer and his drunken buddies sing the 1996 hit "Macarena" on their way home.
 * Drunken Carl suggests Barney take them to the Playboy Mansion.
 * Homer's recollection of his first trip to New York begins with the song "The Entertainer," made famous by the 1973 film The Sting.
 * The X-rated films Homer walks past in this scene have reference to the films Jeremiah Johnson, The Godfather Part II, and Five Easy Pieces, all films coming out between 1970 and 1974 which helps to place the time when Homer went there.
 * C.H.U.D. - The recollection ends with "...and that's when the C.H.U.D.s came after me." Marge responds: "Of course you'll have a bad impression of New York if you only focus on the Pimps and C.H.U.D.s."
 * Woody Allen, a notable New Yorker, makes a brief appearance in Homer's flashback scene. He throws trash on Homer from several stories above.
 * Homer wants to buy a piece of pizza from Original Famous Ray's Pizza which is a parody of the many Ray's Pizza shops around New York.
 * Bart visits the headquarters of Mad magazine. Alfred E. Neuman pokes his head out of the offices, while the White Spy from their Spy vs. Spy series is visible in the room behind him.
 * In New York, Bart sees a trio of Hasidic Jews and mistakes them for ZZ Top.
 * The lead actor in the Betty Ford Clinic musical looks like actor and former SNL castmember Robert Downey, Jr., who became notorious for his drug abuse in the 1990s.
 * When Bart, Marge, and Lisa are on the subway an ad can be seen that says "Can you throw a football? Become a New York Jet. Call 1-800-4NYJETS." This is a reference to the New York Jets, who had the worst season in franchise history the year before this episode came out, with a 1–15 record. The year this episode came out the Jets went 9–7.
 * Die Hard with a Vengeance - At the end, Homer drives his car through Central Park like a madman. John McClane does the same thing in the film.
 * The song that plays during the credits is "New York, New York", sung by Michael Dees.

Goofs

 * During Kickin' It: A Musical Journey through the Betty Ford Center, when there is the shot from above the stage, underneath the main actor there is tape marking his spot. Then, there is a shot of the front of the stage, and the tape has disappeared.