In some shots at the arcade, polybius can be seen in passing. This is a nod to the infamous legend of a mysterious arcade game that was used by the government in the 1980s to brainwash kids.
The Sting tape the dad tries to give Erica is The Dream of the Blue Turtles
This episode takes place in 1987. This is proven by the fact the cartoon Dinosaucers being played on TV.