A Plot: Barry is determined to become a contestant on the American Gladiators competition show, and he has Adam, who he had been bullying relentlessly, make a video of his athletic prowess. After filming several of Barry's comical attempts at feats of strength, Adam secretly sends the tape to America's Funniest Home Videos instead.
B Plot: Erica is at odds with Murray when she supports the Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro ticket for president, while Murray staunchly supports Ronald Reagan. When she sees that Beverly is ambiguous about politics and plans to just go along with whoever Murray chooses, Erica tries to educate her mother on the issues. But this leads to Beverly latching onto one issue in particular – Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No to Drugs" campaign.
- Anachronism Stew: The A-plot involves American Gladiators and America's Funniest Home Videos, which first aired in 1989 (the latter only as a special, with the series proper premiering the following year). However, the B-plot is about the 1984 presidential election.
- Character Filibuster: When Beverly gets invested in politics, she interrupts the debate club Erica's joined to give an hour-long presentation on Just Saying No.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Barry learns where Adam sent the video, Adam tries to calm him down by saying how unlikely it is that it'll be aired, as all it shows is Barry being hurt in the face and genitals...and Adam doesn't even finish the sentence before he realizes it's a shoe-in.
- Ironic Nickname: One member of the "Meadowbrook Mafia" is "Dumb Doug", which they immediately admit is ironic while bragging that he's received an early college admission.
- Kicking My Own Butt: After Adam apologizes for sending his tape to AFV and encourages him, Barry gets the JTP's turf back by beating himself up in front of the "Mafia", showing that they can't hurt him while also freaking them out.
- Loving a Shadow: A non-romantic example, in that Beverly ends up admiring Nancy Reagan for her appearance and how good of a housewife she is, rather than actually considering her political standing. Likewise, Murray only cares about Reagan's jellybean-loving personality and how Mondale will raise taxes, though he hints that watching Erica's debate did sway his opinion towards Mondale in the end.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: Barry apologizes to Adam and calls his birth the greatest gift ever after Adam's done filming him, not knowing that Adam had already sent the tape to AFV instead of Gladiators.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Erica values her social status and believes that the students in the Debate Club are unbelievably abhorrent, but she still joins them to help rally support for Mondale/Gerraro, which is what convinces Beverly to reconsider getting invested in politics...even if she ends up preferring the Reagans.
- The Rival: The JTP has one in the "Meadowbrook Mafia", a group of teens from the next town over, who take over their turf and motivates Barry to get famous as a Gladiator and show them up.
- Unishment: When Barry learns where Adam sent the video, he swears to no longer show him love in his special way...which was through physical and emotional abuse.
