Jimmy Fallon has appeared to reuse a well-known "South Park" gag in which "fish sticks" sounds like "fish dicks," prompting comparisons online because the original joke's episode was itself about stealing credit for a punchline. The overlap has drawn attention for its irony, with commentators noting the parallel between Fallon's segment and the plot of the 2009 episode it echoes.

The joke originates from South Park's 2009 episode "Fishsticks," co-written by Bill Hader, in which the character Cartman tries to take credit for a pun devised by "Jimmy." Hader has said the writing team came up with the wordplay while watching salmon spawn, with Trey Parker checking online to confirm no one had made the joke before; the episode has since been referenced by outlets including The New Yorker, and social media users have suggested Fallon's version could earn a spot on a year-end "best jokes" list.