family guy cameo question
 

do the people making family guy have to pay and get permission for all the various cameo's and movie/tv imitations they do? some of them are pretty embarrassing and i can't imagine someone okaying them

With parody, they don't have to get permission.

correct.. parody allows for alot (i.e. south park, snl)

although I think there have been times when the person they're mocking does the voice
hell, mayor adam west really is adam west and they've made an ass out of him on more than one occasion

Section 107 of Copyright Law - Fair Use. It helps jive copyright law with the first amendment. Of course its a fine line between parody and satire, and stuff may be actionable, but no one seems to do it.