not_vichyssoise

I read somewhere on the internets that the category of the song would be predetermined (gospel, swing, etc.), with the random part being the guests/song titles you had to come up with. Is there any truth to that part?

So, I'm Chinese-American and I cannot seem to distinguish between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese people on sight. Generally, what kind of "clues" do you look for?

Maybe. Under copyright fair use, satire and parody are actually two different things. Parody is protected. Satire is a bit unclear. Weird Al's work for the most part falls under satire. Either way, it's smart of him to get permission, because it both shields himself from risk and helps him maintain goodwill with other artists.