Chris March inspects Joe's candy-basket

This week's Project Runway was the much-anticipated "Gayest Episode Ever". But what the drag-queen-heavy promos didn't tell us is that last night's episode had a special sponsor:

Irony.

Because while the challenge of designing for a gaggle of men in pantyhose may have offered the highest GPM rate (Gay Per Minute) in the show's history, in the end it was one of the worst showings Team Gay has had this season. Somewhere up in heaven, an angel in a crooked wig is crying sequins.

We meet up with the designsketeers in the morning of their next challenge, and quickly learn that Stella looks like 40 yards of bad leathuh before she's had her coffee, and Mighty Joe Straight apparently sleeps in a vat of olive oil (what was up with the greaser look?). The kids are trotted back to Parsons, where they learn that their next challenge will be designing dresses for a flock of feisty drag queens.

Heidi and Brunhilda

Sorry, did I say "feisty"? I meant ENORMOUS. Seriously, my first thought when they paraded them out was, "they're gonna need a bigger runway". They're not like the usual models, which stack like kindling.

With the help of Season 4 fave Chris March (who is done up like a Wagnerian Discounfalle), Heidi introduces the drag queens, who each have a moment to pitch their shtick, like this is some twisted version of The Dating Game. ("I'm Mona Lott and if you were a dentist I'd let you fill my cavity any day!")

The 'sketeers pair up with their queens and they're off to the workroom to caucus. Let me point out that of the designers Terri looks most excited ("I love drag queens!") and both Korto and Kenley are either petrified or in desperate need of Activia.

Keith gives Sherry Vine some sparkle

Upstairs the designers learn that the dresses they design will be auctioned off to benefit Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, which is really cool, and Tim says literally about 4,583 times that the keywords for this challenge are "theatrical" and "over-the-top". As if to prove his point, we get a good look at the queens, who look like they all were involved in some kind of catastrophe in the buttons-and-trims district. For example, Hedda Lettuce looks like a leprechaun stewardess, and Miss Understood is in the process of being swallowed by a frog, by the looks of it. In other words: we're not looking for subtlety here.

The most shocking development this round is when Blayne tries to give everyone drag names by picking random adjectives and sticking "licious" at the end of them. "Shocking" in the sense of, "I can't believe they're still beating this deadlicious horselicious." Thankfully, the other designers (led by Alpha Girl, Interrupted Leanne, who really redeemed herself here) call him out on it, which hopefully will mean the end of the whole stupidlicious mess.

Meaning, I think we've officially "jumped the sharkalicious".

Oh, and I love when Mighty Joe Straight says that he's coming at the challenge as though he were "designing Halloween costumes for his daughters". Um, remind me to trick-or-treat at their house this year, because I gotta see that.

Find out what horrors await on the runway, as well as who the challenge dragged down, after the jump!

Allen Ginsberg and James Franco

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.

• Fresh off playing Harvey Milk's lover, Scott Smith, James Franco will play gay beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the upcoming biopic Howl. Franco notes that he plays the poet in his younger days, "before he went bald and gained weight."

• Ever classy (and press-savvy) out actor Neil Patrick Harris did Britney Spears a solid last week when he spoke highly of her on The View. He also acknowledged what Whoopi did for his career (they co-starred in Clara's Heart when he was knee-high to a grasshopper).

• Last week we reported that Nike had come under fire for its rather stupid "That Ain't Right" ads. Well, they're pulling some of them. Likewise the equally stupid Mr. T Snickers ad.

• I love RuPaul as much as the next guy, but isn't it a bit of a slow day when TMZ is stalking him out of drag and asking why there aren't more "famous transvestites"? Ru was, of course, all charm.

• I don't know who this vicious Debbie Schlussel woman is (did someone feed Ann Coulter after midnight?), but boy does she hate ABBA. Interesting that she condemns Mamma Mia! for being an instrument used by gay men to control women when there were no gay men involved in its making. I know, Debbie - who needs facts when you can just call people names instead?

• And don't forget to vote for Matt to win this season's Design Star! We have until Wednesday to root for Team Gay's lone survivor (you can vote up to five times a day via phone).

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

We've been seeing quite a few variations on the talent-based reality competition show lately. Bravo has translated the Project Runway formula to cooking, decorating, hair styling, modeling and dance. Animal Planet has ventured into the genre with Groomer Has It, and this fall The CW will introduce Stylista, where people will compete for the chance to be a fierce fashion magazine editor like Alexis Meade.

As the genre clearly isn't gay enough already, RuPaul is getting into the mix with an upcoming series on Logo (AfterElton's parent company) called RuPaul's Drag Race, which hopes to crown the next superstar drag queen. Ru will appear in and out of drag in the show, playing the dual role of mentor (out of drag) and as the supreme authority in all judging (in drag). That already sounds pretty inspired.

Auditions are being held online at RuPaul'sDragRace.com where hopefuls can upload videos, blog posts and photos and visitors can vote for their favorite. The online voting will eventually determine the finalists who will be on the show. Do you think you or somebody you know has what it takes?

RuPaul certainly doesn't mince words in this throwdown quote:

"Tell Tyra that the Queen has returned, and while you're at it have Heidi clear the runway. I'm going to pump some 'realness' into reality. To be a winner on this show the contestants need to be a fashion designer, an American Idol, and a top model all rolled up into one. And they definitely have to be smarter than a fifth grader."

It's been too long since we last had Ru on TV with The RuPaul Show on VH-1, hasn't it?

Even better this comes from the fabulous World of Wonder guys who gave us the likes of The Eyes of Tammy Faye (which was narrated by RuPaul), Tori and Dean: Inn Love and Transamerican Love Story. They delivered a massive disappointment with the unpunished homophobia on Viva Hollywood!, so here's hoping RuPaul's Drag Race makes us forget that blemish on their history.

The series is expected to hit the airwaves early next year.

While I wasn't a big fan of the gay gross-out flick Another Gay Movie, which spoofed straight teen comedies like American Pie with an uber gay sensibility, every other gay on the planet was. So it wasn't exactly shocking when a sequel was quickly announced. Despite my indifference, Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild is set to begin production next month.

The plot summary on the film's site seems to promise even more raunch (and hopefully, more funny) than the original:

ANOTHER GAY SEQUEL finds our heroes ANDY, NICO, JAROD and GRIFF reuniting at a gay resort in sunny Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break. They participate in a contest called 'Gays Gone Wild!' to determine who can attain the most "buttlove" over the course of the vacation.

Between Wet Package contests, Evil Gay Fratboys, and genital crabs the size of kittens, it's a bumpy road to booty victory. But this time around, love proves to be the biggest conflict of all as the boys struggle to rectify just how casual sex fits into their lives.

In a hilarious bit of news, the filmmakers are auctioning off a day trip for one lucky fan to visit the set, on location in Ft. Lauderdale. The winner of the auction will stay one night in the cast's hotel, spend a day on set hanging out with the cast (which also includes Rupaul and porn star Brent Corrigan this time around), and win a plethora of prizes including a FlashJack sex toy signed by Mr. Corrigan. Happy bidding, boys!

• RuPaul is the lead voice in a new short-form animated series from Turner? Whah? Developing...

• Out himbo quadruple-threat Cheyenne Jackson will remain as the lead in Broadway's surprise hit Xanadu (the gayest thing to hit the Great White Way since Angels in America) indefinitely.

• I was going to embed this video, but it was just too creepy: the "underaged Neil Patrick Harris gets dressed" montage from the pilot episode of Doogie Howser, M.D. Warning: the moment the video ends, Chris Hansen pops out of your fridge to read you your rights.

• For you charitable NYC types: Gay blogger Chris Tuttle is hosting a benefit birthday party to raise money for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk this coming Monday, featuring performances by Madame and Joe Kovacs, Edie, Trai La Trash, and Kitty Hiccups, with music by DJ Brenda Black.

• OutinHollywood's Greg Hernandez was at the Outfest Legacy Awards and has some fun catch-ups with Peter Paige, the fabulous Judith Light, and more.

• And that's it for us, so be sure to check out Michael's column (which features a great extended Nuke clip and some cute pics of rugby players!) and have the Best.Gay.Weekend.Ever!

• 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."