Work. It. Out.

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.

• People has the first look at Project Runway winner Christian Siriano's guest stint on Ugly Betty.

• Lapsed Scientologist Jason Beghe (I remember him fondly as the oft-nude star of the killer-simian thriller Monkey Shines) spilled the dirt on the group, including that they once blamed his having a gay friend for a near-fatal car accident.

• Singer Jason Mraz chatted with Out about his gay support network, "keeping his options open", and "a couple of random, random, quick gay club experiences."

• Gay Episode Alert! Next week's Law & Order: SVU features a gay football player who is forced out of the closet when his partner is murdered. The boys at OutSports have the scoopage, from the source. The actor playing the footie, Bailey Chase (Saving Grace, As the World Turns), is above.

• Ask Neil Patrick Harris Anything: Oh my. This could get real ugly, real fast...

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

• Blurry, fan-shot set pics of former ranchhand Heath Ledger as The Joker in the new Batman movie. I'm already tingling where I shouldn't be over this one, folks.
  
• Hairspray director Adam Shankman strikes back at The Washington Blade's Kevin Naff for calling a baby-with-the-bathwater boycott on his film based on John Travolta's religious beliefs: "I am stunned this has gotten that far. He (Naff) has made the dumbest claims on the entire planet."
• Andy at Towleroad rounds up the latest Chuck and Larry bits: Steve Buscemi says ignore the trailers, it's gay-positive; early reviews say it's not funny (check back tomorrow for our new main page article on the topic).
• RuPaul talks about Starrbooty (screening at the Philly LGBT Film Fest) and the question is asked: Why not Ru for The View? Ru notes, "In the period I haven’t been on television, it’s because I’ve only been offered reality shows and talking-head programs where I talk about celebrities. I don’t want to talk about what someone is wearing. They’ve always really missed the point of what I’m about."

• Happy birthday to talented, articulate, courageous, and inhumanly hunky out actor Robert Gant, who turns 39 today. Hmm ... when you're a guy who most gay men (and straight women) would kill to have jump out of their birthday cake, who do you have jump out of yours? The bulldog?
• We'd like to think that this was due in part to our relentless coverage (although rave reviews by two dark horse publications called "The New York Times" and "Variety" may have helped): Xanadu on Broadway broke the Helen Hayes Theatre's box-office record.
• The evil-kiddie thriller Joshua, starring Sam Rockwell and the fabulous Vera Farmiga (from The Depaahted and Breaking and Entering), has a gay supporting character, played by Dallas Roberts. But critic Ed Gonzalez thinks the thriller is driven by a hatred of "women, queers, and religion," and feels that Joshua's dandied, pint-sized sociopath is one left best in the celluloid closet.
  
• Armistead Maupin trash-talks John Travolta and Scientology, calling it the "biggest ex-gay movement in America."
• Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under, Grindhouse) to join Ugly Betty as the new love interest I mentioned in my column. Yay! His character's name is Gio. Ileana Douglas also joins the cast as a new editor at Mode. You may remember the fabulous Douglas from her turns in Ghost World, Six Feet Under, and Cape Fear.
• In honor of Friday the 13th, here's a short film from my favorite attention-deficit, seemingly transgender, part-mannequin former model, Shaye St. John. WARNING: Shaye's mind-bending work is not for everyone and has been known to turn sane men into drooling, empty husks.
• Make sure to check my guest column for some other TV news and a bit about gay cross-country competitive racers (seriously) -- and have the BEST.GAY.WEEKEND.EVER!