As we go into the weekend, here's a handy shortlist of the biggest stories of the week on AfterElton.com. And to get you into a playful mood, each Friday's final post will feature a pic up top that desperately needs captioning. Each week we'll pick our fave suggestion from the comments and run it in the following week's post. Have fun!

• Steven Frank recapped the big gay season finale of Brothers & Sisters.
• And in honor of the big gay wedding on B&S, we looked at the history of gay weddings in movies and television.
• We brought you the week's Gay Geek. Comics, genre TV, games, and more!
• We looked at five of the funniest television coming-out scenes.
• In gay soaps news ... Over on As the World Turns Luke caught Ameera dialing for dollars, and confronted her on it. Meanwhile, the lovable Germans of Forbidden Love nearly went public with their relationship ... but things got complicated. And over on Hollyoaks, John-Paul and Kieron nearly blew their cover.
• We interviewed fabulous, out Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioni.
• We unearthed the gay contestant on the coming season of The Mole.
• We brought you Grand Theft Auto IV's two gay storylines.
• Did How I Met Your Mother make a gay gaffe?
• We also introduced the two out designers on the upcoming season of HGTV's Design Star.
• The 2008 Tony nominations were announced, and we rounded up the gay nods.
  
• Swing Vote goes for the gay humor in their new teaser.
• Out Degrassi actor Adamo Ruggiero will be hosting a kids' talent competition show.
• RuPaul's Drag Race will search for the next drag superstar.
• We covered the red carpet of the San Fran GLAAD Media Awards.
• Over on Greek, Calvin met his new love interest, played by Max Greenfield.
• Step It Up & Dance actually gained a gay contestant, and let its dancers dance, for once.
• The Flying Monkey was back to answer reader questions.
• Spain's Operacion Triunfo singing competition has a front-and-center gay contestant, who shared a romantic kiss with his husband on-air.
• Vlogs!: The Angry Puppy fellas chatted about their Hot Geek 10, Jim and Penny discussed the final four on Idol Chat, and Alex sat down (in bathrobes) with Naked Highway on Homophonic. Japhy played "Fierce or Hot Mess?" on Flaming Politics, The Gay Agenda advised Hillary to hang it up, and the Suck It Up & Dance boys did the Mashed Potato with a dancer from Broadway's Hairspray.
• Associate Editor Dennis covered this week's Best.Gay.Week.Ever. column as Michael has been out following an unexpected family loss. Our thoughts are with him and his family, and we look forward to having him back next week.

Drop your caption ideas in the comments, check out last week's winner after the jump, and have a great weekend!

Ah, summer. It's the time for having friends over in the back yard for some lemonade and barbecue, catching a game at the ballpark and meeting up at the local megaplex to catch the latest blockbuster film. 

Given that today is also the last day to cast your votes for the AfterElton Hot 100, we thought we'd provide you with a handy list of summer's box office hunks for inspiration.

Enjoy! 

Robert Downey Jr.
in Iron Man (In theatres now)

As a Marvel comics reader, I was never a big fan of Tony Stark (except for that issue of The Avengers where The Molecule Man destroyed his power armor and Tony spends the issue wearing only a blazer wrapped around his waist), but Robert Downey Jr. has me reconsidering. He certainly makes Tony Stark look good.

Emile Hirsch and Matthew Fox
in Speed Racer (In theatres now)

When I first heard that the Wachowskis were adapting anime classic Speed Racer for the big screen, my first reaction was my standard "remake shrug". I started paying attention, however, when I heard that Hirsh had been cast as the titular character; there's something about his features that make him perfect for playing a classic anime hero. Speed Racer also stars Matthew Fox (who came in at number 46 in our Hot 100 last year) who, sadly, will be covering his face up as Racer X. Still, you can still easily identify him by his strong jaw.

Ben Barnes
in Prince Caspian (Opens May 16)

When I read the Narnia books as a kid, I always imagined Prince Caspian as looking like one of those stiff and stern-faced guys from the Prince Valliant comics I tried to follow every Sunday. Well, the posters for the new Prince Caspian film certainly changed that. Barnes is a new name to most of us, having been in only a few other films, but I suspect we'll be hearing his name a lot, judging from the way I can't help but stop and stare every time I see a Prince Caspian poster.

Shia LaBoeuf and Harrison Ford
in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Opens May 23)

At some point I blinked and that kid from Holes suddenly became a good-looking young man able to pull a film to the top of the box office (too bad one of those films was Transformers). Now he's getting a shot at the Indiana Jones torch by playing the sidekick in the latest Indy film. Shia's not the only hottie in the film, of course, as Harrison Ford has aged well and is still mighty nice to watch.

David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis and Chris Noth
in Sex and the City: The Movie (Opens May 30)

When Sex and the City was one of the main reasons to have an HBO subscription, the show was a hot topic among gay men who liked to argue whether they were more like Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha. When the series ended, all four of the SatC ladies had found a guy they could love for the long term. Since each guy represents a different type, both physically and in personality, that raises a new question: which boyfrind could you see yourself ending up with? Laid back regular guy Steve (Eigenberg)? Career-minded and emotionally guarded Mr. Big (Noth)? Sweet but sometimes schlubby Harry (Handler)? Hunky and supportive Smith (Lewis)?

Today's episode of Hollyoaks does what all great drama does: it leaves you wanting more. It takes characters we care about, and puts them in a position that, though implausible, is impossible not to get excited about.

I'm not going to recap it, because there are ... surprises. But I will mention that John Paul and Father Freak-on Kieron have another snogging session followed by an after-shower scene. These scenes, especially the shower scene, are so natural and casually intimate it got me thinking about the supposed upcoming change on As the World Turns. Allegedly, the scenes between Luke and Noah are going to become more "intimate" starting next week, and it'll be interesting to compare their idea of intimacy to shows like Hollyoaks and Forbidden Love. (Which we of course plan on doing, frame-by-frame.)

You can see today's Hollyoaks clip after the break, and go here for a preview of where things pick up next week (thanks to reader dkellergrl2001 for the heads up about the preview).

There were lots of surprises in the latest episode of the Bravo reality competition Step It Up & Dance, starting with the shocking, out of the blue decision to let the dancers ... dance.

This week's competition is all about latin dancing, focusing on Flamenco, Salsa, and Tango (Makes Three!). The guest judge this week is choreographer Jordi Caballero, and let me tell you, I'm resisting mightily here from making any "gay" or "guy" Caballero jokes. Since this week's competition is about partner dancing, and there are only five dancers left, they have to bring in spare dancers, who turn out to be ...

Everyone who had been previously eliminated!

Adriana, Tovah, and the three out dancers James, Oscar, and Michael all return for this episode, and the "twist" is that one on them will be returning to the competition after the competition performance. The five remaining dancers pick who they want to partner with, and when James is picked by tomboy Janelle, he says it is so upsetting, he "farted slightly", which makes me hope he isn't chosen to return. Because frankly, I don't know if i can take him and Miguel as the "catty twins" again. The last two dancers are my favorites, Oscar and Michael, and because there's only one spot remaining, that means one of them will be eliminated again before they even have a chance to dance. Oscar is chosen for the last spot, which means Michael is sent packing, presumably back to Sean Cody.

So it's a brand new chance for the eliminated dancers to show what they have, and it means Oscar and James have a shot at coming back.

When Miguel hears that this week's competition is about latin dancing, he gushes that it is "perfect" for him (as you may remember, apparently Stomp, musical theater, modern, and hip-hop were all "perfect" for him, too). He isn't too happy that one of the eliminated dancers will be returning, because he doesn't think it is fair after he had "kicked their asses" (the fact that he ended up in the bottom two twice doesn't count, I suppose).

He makes a HUGE faux pas in the eyes of his competitors this week, when his partner Jessica drops out with an injury (I wasn't listening too closely, but I think it was either an "inner-ear problem" or a "bubble on the brain"). He initially tries to partner with Michelle, but not only gives her attitude, but drops her on the floor like a sack of potatoes. That leads to an admonishment from Oscar, and Miguel decides he wants to dance the pairs competition ... alone.

See how Miguel does, and find out if one of our dancers is coming back, after the break.

In this week's abbreviated episode, Marc and Lee bring you a report on the Queer Media and Entertainment Conference (two words: Dawn. Wiener.), updates on the latest episodes of Lost, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica and details on voting for the Angry Puppy Hot Geek 10.

Oh, and there's a painting dog.

Check it out after the break!

Friday

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Check local listings
At yesterday's taping of today's show, Ellen announced that she will wed girlfriend Portia de Rossi under California's new, same-sex-inclusive marriage law. The ep will air today. Does this girl have a knack for landmark television moments, or what?! (You can watch the clip here, but tune in to see it as well!)

Larry King Live (CNN) 6:00 PM EDT
It's a Dancing with the Stars hype-fest with the the judges and host of ABC's reality hit, including out judge Bruno Toniolo as well as the three finalists (including ice skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi and Cristian de la Fuente of The Class and Ugly Betty) and their partners. Dancing with the Stars is one of those shows that's only partially been on my radar, but this sounds like the final three with the most gay appeal.

Sex and the City: The Movie: HBO First Look (HBO) 10:45 PM EDT
If you're getting excited about Carrie Bradshaw and pals' silver screen debut, here's your chance to get a preview of the film. I remember I used to be quite addicted to the original series, but the movie is yet to grab my attention ... maybe this will change things.

Case Crackers: Summer of Hate (Biography) 11:00 PM EDT
Biography takes a look at a series of hate crimes in Sacramento which included anti-semitic, anti-abortion and homophobic crimes, eventually turning fatal when a gay couple was murdered.

Saturday

Doctor Who (BBC America) 6:00 PM EDT
Torchwood fans going through a bit of withdrawal might want to check out tonight's repeat from season two where The Doctor and Rose find themselves protecting Queen Victoria from a werewolf and unintentionally inspiring the creation of Torchwood. It's got camp, it's got Torchwood ... what else do you need?

Groomer Has It (Animal Planet) 9:00 PM EDT
Animal Planet's reality competition show just gets odder and odder (doesn't it?), as this week's challenge involves creating doggie treats. Now, if only the show were to surprise us with a Jai Rodriguez/Ted Allen reunion...

The Graham Norton Show (BBC America) 10:00 PM EDT
Graham talks with Minnie Driver (who is also this week's musical guest) and comedian Jimmy Carr. If this were any other show, I'd worry that we'd be stuck with even more jokes about inappropriate names for your child if your last name is Driver (it gets old) but with Graham leading the discussion, I have a feeling we'll get a lively discussion about the downsides of pregnancy. (Maybe she'll even reveal who the father is?)

Sunday

Desperate Housewives (ABC) 9:00 PM EDT
Tonight's two-hour season finale promises the return of Desperate Househusbands Bob and Lee (Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm), a commitment ceremony and the arrival of Gale Harold. Funny how we started the season looking forward to the arrival of Wisteria Lane's first gay couple to the mild feeling of dread they've come to inspire (as well as flashbacks to Alfre Woodard's talents being misused as Betty Applewhite).

Alright, this is one of those times when I'm regretting having taken German in high school.

It seems that the Spanish singing competition Operacion Triunfo (the equivalent to our American Idol) has several out gay contestants this season, and that one of those contestant's romance with his husband has become the highlight of the season.

We can't understand a word of the show and all of the fansites that we've found are impenetrable even by Babelfish and Google Translator, but this is what seems to be going on: A 34-year-old American contestant named Chipper Cooke has been doing exceedingly well in the competition, and his relationship with his husband has been put squarely in the spotlight.

Starting right from the beginning with the auditions, the relationship of Chipper (who barely speaks Spanish but is learning as he goes) and his fella have been a part of his story, as we see him picking up Chipper from his successful audition and walking away with his arm around him after giving him a quick kiss.

In the first episode, prior to Chipper's singing "My Girl", the host found Chipper's adorable hubby in the audience, who said "I love you!" (in English) to his fella in encouragement.

But the most stunning display of support was when, on Saint Jordi day, Chipper's man (and he is referred to on screen as his "marido", or husband) was invited on stage to present Chipper with flowers. The two men embraced and kissed and Chipper cried, all to the deafening cheers of the crowd:

I dare you to watch the above clip and not get a little weepy. I mean, this guy sure did:

Not for nothin', but that shot kind of reminds me of the moment during Kevin and Scotty's wedding when we see the look on Saul's face.

Apparently, Chipper's family Stateside was not aware that he is married to a man (we haven't been able to confirm this), so this love story may be as big of a surprise to them as it is to us. (The only mentions of Cooke on English-language sites suggest that he was married to a woman when living here in the States.) I guess that's one way to come out!

If anyone fluent in Spanish learns anything more about this story, please feel free to share in the comments. We'll be following Chipper's progress (and the other gay contestant, once we can figure out who he is) and will update. Go get 'em, Chipper! (Huge thanks to Aurélie for the tip!)

You know, when American Idol finally decides to grow a pair and celebrate the diverse sexualities of its contestants, maybe I'll tune in. Can you wonder why Chipper might have headed to Spain to break out? For shame, Simon...

Olivia Broadfield (Photo: Andrew Robert Fox)

Every Friday our friend Colin over at NewNowNext helps off kick off the weekend early with some great new music tips. Plug in your earbuds and pretend it's Saturday!

Video of the Week: Olivia Broadfield – “Silence”

This U.K. singer-songwriter definitely has a little Feist-iness in her. Check out her dreamy stop-motion video, complete with wall-crawling outfits. See it all after the break.

Duffy NewNowNext Interview

Before taking to the TRL stage this week, the young, Welsh soul singer chatted with NNN about the only gay in her village and her sudden rise to stardom.

R.E.M. “Hollow Man” Video

The second single from the queer-fronted band’s Accelerate album is a raw plea for salvation - and flashy graphics take the place of the band itself.

Metro Station “Shake It” Video

The just-plain-fun Cali rock band hosts a dance-crew battle for their catchy number’s video.

The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings Debut Album Stream and “That’s Not My Name” Video

Katie and Jules of this British electronic project make their way to the States with debut We Started Nothing, as well as an iPod commercial and some funky, stripped-down music videos.

New Donna Summer “S-T-A-M-P” Video

The diva is approaching 60, but she still has an album, Crayons, on the way, as well as a new music video!

Laura Linney and out Tony nominee Ben Daniels (Photo: Sara Krulwich for the NY Times)

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.

• If it weren't on video, I wouldn't believe it: an old clip of Anderson Cooper reporting from Chelsea BDSM shop The Noose. (Now that's what I call "Headline Noose"! Bah-dum-bum.)

• We're not the only ones who find it interesting that As the World Turns is the only soap to post an increase in young viewers in the months since the Nuke storyline was introduced - The New York Times does, too.

• The Times also profiled gay actor Ben Daniels (Beautiful Thing), who recently snagged a Tony nomination for his breakout performance in Les Liaisons Dangereuses opposite Laura Linney. Though the sexuality of his character is center-stage, the piece fails to mention that the actor has been out since forever.

• here! Tunes (the music publishing arm of the gay television network) has announced their debut release for their first signed artist, NYC musician Stewart Lewis. To hear some samples of his pop/folk melodies, check out Lewis's Myspace page, and look for the album, in formation, in early June.

• Out in Hollywood has compiled some notable (and heartwarming) responses from celebs and such to repeal of the California same-sex marriage ban. My favorite has to be Governor Terminator's comment: "I will respect the court's decision." Brings a tear!

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

In case you've lost track of time after spending two weeks wading through jpegs or shirtless celebrities, tomorrow is the last day of voting in the 2008 AfterElton.com Hot 100 poll. But that's tomorrow.

Today we're thrilled to share with you the top ten of Chris, the aptly-titled "Lead Hunkologist" of Hunk du Jour. Given Hunk du Jour's reputation for featuring the finest mancandy the Web has to offer, we thought Chris's thoughts would be invaluable ... and give us an excuse to post more beefcake. In the name of science!

So without further ado ... Chris's picks!

Alan Ritchson

10. Alan Ritchson
We're all drooling over his photos in the N2N Bodywear campaign, but at Hunk du Jour HQ we remember him catching our eye back on American Idol.

9. Bret Harrison
I think all of us can understand having an evil boss, but in Reaper Bret Harrison's boss takes the cake. (He's the devil.) His average number of episodes he appears shirtless in is dipping significantly (it was in the high 90's for a while!) but he could still charm us into making a pact we'd regret for eternity.

8. Evan Wadle
Known throughout the blogosphere as Evan Wade, he's been much talked about ... though not many have been using his actual name, Evan Wadle. He's showing up everywhere, and should be in the top 10 of any blogger's mentions.

Evan Wadle

7. Zachary Quinto
Sylar ... evil Sylar. A true villian that never seems to quite be defeated! Plus, Zachary is appearing in the next Star Trek film as Spock, so wouldn't it be logical that he'd make the list? (I'm really sorry for these horrible puns, I can't stop myself.)

6. Adam Levine
Maroon 5 is back on the scene, and love-em-or-hate-em they have a sizzling hot front man in Adam Levine. Plus their video for "Makes Me Wonder" should be used as a template for new airport and airplane design, 'cos I'd fly Maroon 5 airways

5. Justin Timberlake
Justin teamed up with Madge for a four-minute song that's been permanently running through my head for weeks now ... and the screencaps from his upcoming film appearance in The Love Guru as Jaques Grande (dirty!) where he's walkin' around in a speedo? Wow. (That can't be real, right?)

Zachary Quinto

4. Neil Patrick Harris
He's been worming his way into our hearts as serial womanizer Barney on How I Met Your Mother, but our heart strings really get pulled when we hear behind-the-scenes stories of how funny and likable he is. And you've seen him with his shirt off, right?

3. Mario Lopez
Another polarizing celebrity, Mario Lopez is on broadway in A Chorus Line but is also showing off his amazing body while promoting his new fitness book. He's one singular sensation immediately recognizable across the nation.

And Chris's top two picks for the year...