Homer worries that he committed bigamy by marrying Amber, but "Wedding for Disaster" later revealed that Reverend Lovejoy's license to wed couples was null and void, meaning that Homer's divorce from "A Milhouse Divided" still stood and Homer's marriage to Amber was legal. But Ned's marriage to Ginger was not legal
Ned references the theme tune to the sitcom "Maude" when he proclaims, "And then there's Maude!"
Ned is revealed to be 60. His voice actor, Harry Shearer, turned 60 four years after the episode first aired.
Among the items in Ned and Homer's hotel room is a Stanley Cup, in 2018 the Vegas Golden Knights the first professional sports team in the state of Nevada qualified for the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history but lost to the Washington Capitals in 5 games.
On the original airing (and syndicated reruns), Homer mutters that Barney Gumble's birthday is the same day as Adolf Hitler's (April 20th). Because the Columbine school shooting happened on that day, the line in the UK version and the season 10 DVD set is changed to "Barney's birthday is July 15th, same day as Lassie's."
The 2009 film The Hangover has a similar plot to this episode.
This is the first episode to air in 1999.
Goofs
When Homer is roasting a chicken on his chimney, the dirt on his beard repeatedly appears and disappears.
The dirt on his nose disappears for a frame as well.
When Homer laughs at Ned after finding out he married Ginger, he and Ned were standing in the hot tub, but when Homer screams after finding out he married Amber almost a second later, they were suddenly standing out of it.
The establishing shot of Ned and Homer first driving the entire antenna is on Homers car It was broken off at the car wash.
Cultural References
The title of the episode is a reference to the film and song Viva Las Vegas.
The chalkboard gag references Jerry Seinfeld.
While driving in the desert, author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson and his lawyer pass Ned and Homer in the oncoming lane, drawn in the style of the Ralph Steadmann painting, The Savage Journey. This is a reference to the Hunter S. Thompson novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Comic Book Guy's bumper stickers include a series of sci-fi references, including Star Trek ("I Brake for Tribbles", "My Child is an Honor Student at Starfleet Academy" and "Keep Honking, I'm Charging My Phaser"), Star Wars ("My Other Car is the Millennium Falcon") and The X-Files ("The Truth is in Here"), as well as The Simpsons itself ("Kang Is My Co-Pilot"). His license plate reads "NCC-1701", the registry number of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek.
When Ned says this may be Insane in the ol' Membrane it is a reference to the Cypress Hill song of the same name (minus the word ol') It is unlikely Ned listens to Cypress Hill given their music.
On the church marquee, the text says "TODAY'S TOPIC: He knows what you did last summer." This may be a reference to the 1997 movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is based on the 1973 novel of the same name.
When Homer and Ned are getting married, the preacher says "the power invested in me by the Chicago Outfit". The Chicago Outfit is a Italian-American Mafia group based in Chicago, with resources and territory in Las Vegas. Perhaps its most famous member is Alphonse "Al" "Scarface" Capone, which was its boss from the 1920s all the way up until 1932, when he was arrested for tax evasion.
Ned's lines of "Oh, what the heck. You only live once. Give me a white wine spritzer." would become the basis of the song 'White Wine Spritzer' by the Ned Flanders themed metalcore band Okilly Dokilly
