AfterElton Briefs: Todd Holland clarifies, Matthew Mitcham misses and more!

Michelle Williams performing at G-A-Y in London

Following this 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.

• Lady Gaga as Kermit the Frog? Gaga indeed.

• After first likening blogs to "cockroaches", director Todd Holland clarified his remarks about gay actors staying in the closet. Since no one has posted a transcript from the Outfest panel, it's hard to know how much is clarification vs obfuscation, but those in attendance at the panel including director Kirby Dick found Holland's comments "regressive." Of course, perhaps Dick is also a cockroach.

• Director Don Roos (Happy Endings,The Opposite of Sex) also spoke out on the issue at Outfest saying he prefers more mystery about his actors and that:

I have a deep respect for homophobia [in American society] and I don’t think it will ever go away. I don’t think actors coming out is going to help end homophobia. I think doctors, teachers and lawyers coming out will end homophobia.

It's not like actors reach millions of Americans or anything. Roos also says homophobia makes us more interesting. Personally, I vote for less interesting, more rights. 

Is that my medal I see down there? Oh, crikey...

• In the showdown between Matthew Mitcham and the Chinese divers in Rome, the gold medal went to ... England? Fifteen-year-old Brit diver Thomas Daley knocked off the big guys to win the 10m competition. You can check out pics from the competition here.

• Does Merlin actually have gay subtext or are some folks just reading into it? 

• Third Eye Blind has written gay-themed songs before, but this one's about a straight guy in love with a lesbian. Wasn't that called Chasing Amy? 

• The August cover story in Vanity Fair is devoted to the last days of Heath Ledger. The magazine also asks readers to vote on Heath's best performance. Brokeback Mountain is currently in first place with 45% of the vote. 

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

This guy!