Much Apu About Nothing/References

Cultural references

 * The episode title is a pun on the William Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
 * After Homer says the city is infested with bears, Moe says "And these ones are smarter than the average bear. They swiped my pic-a-nic basket", Mayor Quimby pulls out a picnic basket and starts munching on a sandwich is a reference to.

Trivia

 * Apu mentions having enrolled in the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology, the initials of which are S.H.I.T.
 * This episode features the first appearance of Manjula.

California references

 * At the time the episode was produced, California was having problems with bears roaming neighborhoods in search of food, as shown in Springfield at the beginning of the episode.
 * California at the time was also having problems associated with the large numbers of illegal immigrants in the state. In 1994, voters had passed Proposition 187 (later declared unconstitutional) which would have denied services such as education and health care to illegal immigrants, similar to Springfield voters' passing Proposition 24. California's continuing issues with illegal immigrants were one of the reasons for making the episode, according to Bill Oakley on the DVD commentary.

Continuity

 * Selma mentions her marriages to Sideshow Bob, Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure and claims she will only marry for love and once more for money.
 * Sideshow Bob had tried to murder Selma for her money in "Black Widower".
 * Troy McClure and Selma's marriage was a sham to help Troy's film career and Selma only went along with it for the fame and fortune.
 * Though the marriage to Lionel Hutz is never seen, in "Secrets of a Successful Marriage", Hutz mentions that he only dates women for money.