This episode appears to be inspired by the 1987 controversy over the art piece "Immersion (Piss Christ)" by Andres Serrano. It depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a small glass tank of the artist's urine. Serrano received death threats and hate mail, and he lost grants due to the controversy.
In the upper right-hand corner of the painting of the girl with no hands, there appears to be the logo of the Montreal Canadiens. Producer Rene Balcer is from Montreal.