The joke was at the beginning--within the first 5 minutes--of season 5, episode 20, which first aired 18 December 1993.
The joke doesn't make any sense--to me, at least--but given that the MST3K reboot during the covid era--produced by Joel himself--was a gay woke-fest, you have to wonder. Maybe Joel knew something we didn't at the time.
Edit: It is a Mike Nelson episode. Immediately after the Epstein reference, Mike is ripping up a pair kid's underwear (briefs).
My first conspiracy I got into was the whole ufo thing in the third grade (subject still fascinates me) and then it grew from there. Have you read Behold a Pale Horse by Bill Cooper? Also amazing how the Bildebergs get so little scrutiny
When I was in the Air Force I only got second or third hand stories about back engineered alien craft. But have definitely heard of the underground bases and secret tech. I wonder what the black budget is at now. That is some very interesting information
I have not yet read any of Cooper's stuff, though once I get my new library shelving up, conspiracy stuff is probably going to be what I start hunting at 2nd & Charles and Half Price Books.
I actually got into conspiracies the other way round, looking at stuff the military did in WWII and the early 1950s. Like the antigravity flying bells at Wright-Patterson and the Lenticular Bomber prototypes.
That is a fascinating topic