The basement rec room where Richie and Phyllis attend the party is a redress of Mike and Carol's bedroom on "The Brady Bunch", while the room where Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham are playing bridge with their friends appears to be a redress of Mike Brady's den.
The plot of this episode centers around Phyllis being much taller than Richie; however, the two actors Diana Canova and Ron Howard are the same height 5'9".
The title is based upon a remark from New Zealander Edmund Hillary on why he climbed Mount Everest: "Because it was there."