AfterElton Briefs: Stipe hits Rockefeller Center, "Ugly Betty" gains a hunk, and more!

Michael Stipe: He's here, he's queer ... he's on TV!

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• The very gay Michael Stipe is still gay, and he and his confirmed not-gay R.E.M. bandmates performed on The Today Show this morning.

• Wait, they do April Fool's in England? Eminem reported set to play Elton John in upcoming biopic. As if.

• Speaking of April Fool's pranks, while our article about Katie Heigl splitting with BFF T.R. Knight was a gag, the story about Kylie Minogue divorcing her gay bestie may not be.

• AfterElton Hot 100-er and ABC go-to guest Eddie Cibrian will be guesting on Ugly Betty. Not that we get excited about that kind of OMGOMGOMGHOTTESTTHINGEVAARRRR ... ahem ... thing.

• The Advocate published a petition letter complaining about their positioning of the Lawrence King murder in an article called "Mixed Messages", which asked if we gays led Lawrence to doom by encouraging him to be out and proud.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

The Fattest Cat in the World!