Quest for Ratings/Trivia

Trivia

 * Neither Stan or Kyle wear their trademark hats at any point during this episode; Cartman only wears his in a flashback.
 * Whistlin' Willy's was formerly known as Crust E. Krotch's in the episode "Child Abduction is Not Funny".
 * This is one of the few episodes Kyle and Stan call Cartman by his first name, yet Cartman pronounced it "Ric".
 * When Kyle does the report on the girls' basketball team, he talks about how that had to forfeit their last game and haven't won one at all. However, Cartman makes the error saying they have been on a 6-0 slide instead of 0-6 slide.
 * During the report on cough syrup abuse, they show Middle Park Elementary. This is the only time it was shown in the series. Their mascot appears to be a dog.
 * Matt Stone's dog Mr. Yes, and Trey Parker's cat Jake, can both be seen in Close-Up Animals with a Wide-Angle lens.
 * The ending of this episode mirrors the frustration that Matt and Trey experienced while trying to make their film, Team America, and South Park (By contract, having only one week to complete an episode) at the same time.
 * Craig is recommended for surgical castration in this episode - however, since by "Pandemic" he still has one of the lowest voices in the class, he probably didn't go through with the operation.
 * In this episode, Craig's voice is somewhat higher and less nasal than usual.
 * Side-effects of the cough syrup are already mentioned in Episode 104 - Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride, where Cartman says to Stan: "Stan, you need to lay off the cough syrup, alright, seriously. I'm worried about you man."


 * When the Sexy Action School News is trying to come up with new ideas Crab People are mentioned. This was a last minute idea used in "South Park is Gay " a year earlier.

Cultural References

 * While the boys have hallucinations from the cough syrup, a recoloured video clip of the title sequence from the revamped Doctor Who can be seen.
 * The appearance of the boys as newscasters is a parody of 1970's-1980's newscasters, who were famous for big poofy hairstyles. It may also be a reference to the Will Ferrell film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
 * The cough syrup news report is made to look similar to the news reports done by Nightline and 20/20.

Continuity

 * The Raisins girls are seen again in Stan's news report - he has evidently gotten over Wendy since the episode "Raisins" since he says "if I were a little older, I would be aroused."
 * Cartman's rivalry with Craig is reinforced in this episode.

Goofs

 * At one point when the guys are at 'Whislin' Willy's,' you can see Kevin Stoley sitting at table, but he is also seen standing behind Stan. At another point, Kevin is still sitting at a table, but he is also watching Craig's "Animals Close-Up With a Wide-Angle Lens." The debate of whether this was a mixed-up duplicate or that these could be different kids who look very similar is still up for debate.
 * At the very end of the episode, in the first clip of the dog in a hat you can clearly see a cut out Kenny.