While visiting Fiscus (Howie Mandel) is his hospital room after being shot, Drs. Ehrlich and Alexrod try to cheer him up by putting latex gloves over their heads and inflating them by blowing through their noses. After no reaction from Fiscus, Ehrlich says "I saw someone do that on TV" and Alexrod says "It wasn't funny then either". The glove routine was a very famous bit in Howie Mandel's standup comedy routine.
The title is derived from the musical "Once Upon a Mattress" written by Mary Rodgers with lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer.