Michael Ausiello certainly knows how to start his first week at Entertainment Weekly with a bang: he's given quite the tantalizing blind item about a "sorta-hit series" with a "humdinger of a curveball for the upcoming season that is so twisty it will take the program in a completely new direction — and an inspired (not to mention timely) direction, at that!" Even better, "The twist in question is a little gay. No, make that a lot gay."

Now, that certainly gets the wheels turning, especially with those tantalizing clues: a modest hit and one that would get taken into a totally new direction with this gay twist. I'm ruling out popular ensemble shows like Lost or Heroes since it would take a lot for a gay revelation to take the show in a new direction. Also, any show we frequently discuss here at AfterElton.com is probably out of the running, unless there's a show about to turn a "barely-there gay" into the focus of the show (waves in the direction of The Office). Also, unless Ausiello and I have very different ideas of "completely new direction", most procedural shows can be ruled out unless one of them is going to turn into a same-sex Hart to Hart.

So, what "sorta-hit" shows could go in a new direction with a gay twist? The Big Bang Theory (which has already pinged some viewers' gaydar) would fit the bill. The show is currently about two heterosexual male nerds crushing on their female neighbor. If one of the guys turned out to be gay, it would change the show drastically while making it something unique. (How many gay nerds are there on scripted TV?) Then again, when last we saw 30 Rock's Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), he had set off a gay bomb in a small Pentagon office ... what if the results were permanent? Would that take the show in a new direction?

Ausiello posts a picture from My Name is Earl with his teaser but adds that "it would be a mistake to read too much into the photo above." So is that just a red herring?

Oh, and in case there are any "Wincest" fans out there, Ausiello has the following bit of disappointment:

And no, Sam and Dean hooking up on Supernatural does not qualify as an intelligent guess.

Hm, that would leave room for Dean to come out (it would give an explanation for his gay baiting humor). Then again, that wouldn't be much of a new direction.

Meanwhile, Zap2It's Korbi Ghosh has some gay spoilers for Desperate Housewives and Dirty Sexy Money. Check them out and get yourself spoiled after the break...

Candis Cayne and Cyndi Lauper at the NewNowNext Awards (Photo: Getty)

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.

• Cyndi Lauper's latest video, for her dance track "Into the Nightlife", was directed by Lauper herself ... at gay dance club Splash in New York City. Seriously. You can check it out over here. (And be on the lookout for a cameo by Colton Ford!)

• We reported back in September about the in-the-works Brokeback Mountain opera, and today we've gotten word that it will premiere in 2013 as a part of the New York City Opera's season. Charles Wuorinen is composing the opera.

• Worst. Stocking. Stuffer. Ever.: Heath Ledger "Joker" action figures are fetching a pretty penny on eBay, and rumors say that Mattel is scrambling to redesign the figure (to be less Ledger-y, one would assume) before The Dark Knight comes out.

Olivia Newton John shows her Pride in Los Angeles

(Photo: Getty Images)

• Olivia Newton John, Kimberley Locke, and Leeza Gibbons (yes, I just said "Leeza Gibbons") were among the entertainers at yesterday's Gay Pride festivities in Los Angeles.

• The L.A. Times has a preview of what's in store for this Sunday's Tony Awards, including presenters and performances, including the cast of Xanadu's chosen number, "Don't Walk Away". (And no, they're not going to turn into cartoon birds during the number. Though that would be awesome.)

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

Here's some great news: At long last, the in-development series based on Del Shores' fan-fave play and movie Sordid Lives is making its way to Logo in the summer fall of 2008. 

Official word is out that the series (currently filming in Louisiana) is screenbound and will star Bonnie Bedelia, Rue McClanahan, Olivia Newton-John, Caroline Rhea, and Beth Grant (OMG don't tell me that's the Sparkle Motion lady from Donnie Darko...). Out, Emmy-winning actor Leslie Jordan (pictured above) will reprise his film role as the institutionalized, Tammy-Wynette-channeling "Brother Boy", and Margaret Cho, Carson Kressley, Candis Cayne and Georgette Jones are also set to cameo amidst the 12-episode run.

The press release sums up the series thusly:

Sordid Lives’ twelve half-hour episodes are a humorous look at a dysfunctional family and the denizens of Winters, Texas, as well as an institutionalized brother (Jordan) who channels Tammy Wynette (Jones).  The series also chronicles the handsome young son of one of sisters (Bedelia) who is struggling with coming out to his Texas Republican Baptist family while pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles. 

Finally, some good news on the television front ... and even more, easily the most bizarre cast I've ever seen assembled for a television project (most of whom appeared in the 2000 film). This could either be brilliance or an absolute mess, but either way, we'll be watching ... and not just because Logo will make us. (Logo is the parent company of AfterElton.com.)

Provocative pop culture magazine Radar has assembled a list of "The New Radicals" naming "the year's most notable rogues, renegades, and rule-breakers" who've challenged the status quo and worked to keep the pop culture landscape from becoming a bland wasteland.

Gay fave Kathy Griffin starts their list for her now-legendary Emmy acceptance speech, a controversy Griffin attributes to "the dumbing down of America." (Eh, I attribute it to the dumbing down of the media.) In the brief profile, Griffin notes that her "D-List" status allows her to get enough of the a peek into the world of celebrity to give it the thorough mocking that her fans love.

Transgender actress Candis Cayne wraps up the list. Radar notes that Cayne almost gave up on acting after undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Thankfully that didn't happen, as Cayne's role as Carmelita on Dirty Sexy Money is groundbreaking: it's the first time a major-network show has given a regular transgender role to a transgender performer.

Cayne's pitching a comedy project that would follow a fictionalized version of her real life (think So NoTorious or Curb Your Enthusiasm) with husband Marco McDermott and his six-year-old daughter. I'd love to see that.

As part of a quartet of black bloggers who are challenging how the media covers African-American issues, Rod McCullom gets honors by Radar. If you haven't checked out McCullom's blog, Rod 2.0, from out blogroll, be sure to check his great coverage of gay issues.

Radar also praises World of Wonder, the "camp provocateurs" who've given us some great entertainment in film and television. You might know World of Wonder from their documentaries about Tammy Faye Messner, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Tammy Faye: Death Defying or their follow-up reality series, One Punk Under God, which followed Jay Bakker's gay-friendly ministry. Gay audiences might also know WoW from the Oxygen series, Tori and Dean: Inn Love, as well as the documentary and film Party Monster.

Congratulations to all the honorees for some well-deserved kudos! They're all pretty deserving to be better known by audiences.

Yesterday's Good Morning America had a great profile and interview of transgender performer Candis Cayne. The profile gives us a glimpse into Cayne's family life, taking time to talk with her twin brother, Dylan McDaniel, and her boyfriend, Marco McDermott.

During the interview, Cayne addresses one of the more surprising moments from her past appearance on The View. Cayne told the View ladies that she didn't realize she was transgender until she was in her twenties. Cayne clarified, "I knew when I was six, I had my first thoughts of it. But because my parents had raised me so openly and just being who I am supposed to be, I was never conflicted. I was never, 'I'm not supposed to be doing this' because they never told me I wasn't supposed to play with that doll."

Cayne's been an amazing spokesperson for transgender people. She makes it easy to understand her experience. Check the GMA segment for yourself after the break:

Just call it "Avatar of the Week: The Rural Edition" This time around I thought I'd feature avatars from readers in rural or remote locations. (I live in a small college town in Virginia these days, so it's nice to know I'm not the only one.)

First up is cwukasch, who lives in a small town in northern California. Cwukasch says AfterElton.com is one of his few links to gay civilization. Well, we do try to be civilized around here. Among his likes and interests, he mentions the thoughtful Tim Gunn and also says that transgender actress Candis Cayne is very brave and "effing hot." Cwukasch might have taken the prize this week if only his face in the avatar pic wasn't completely fuzzed out. I'm wondering if he recently accepted a mysterious videotape from Naomi Watts? Cwuk, write back and let us know you're okay.

Second up is rainy, ak.a. Sonja

Rainy hails from Kiel, Germany. I don't know much about the town other than they manufacture a great line of skin care products there. Oh wait, that's Kiehls. Never mind. Rainy studies English and history at university and claims to watch entirely too much television. (Is that even possible?)

I thought the slogan on her avatar pic was particularly inspired. It may not be the Avatar of the Week but it is certainly Motto of the Week. I just wish I had it on a bumper sticker. Although the hawk in me would say, why choose between awkward sexual advances and war? Can't we have both?

This week's top avatar prize goes to WThaddeus. From his profile....

I'm a 42 year old man living on the Door County Pennisula in beautiful Wisconsin. Big on the life list: the visual arts, music (any thing from classical to current),architecture, and museums trips is a big plus. Politics and history continue to fascinate me.

I also have a strong interest in the outdoors/hikes/day-tripping. I find kindness and compassion very attractive qualities in other humans. GREED is unattractive! If you have a Hummer then there's a good chance we will have little in common- unless you're Wesley Clark and you have it parked at a base.

Great profile, WThad! Handsome, cultured, enviro-friendly, and wouldn't begrudge Wesley Clark a Hummer.

Congrats to runners up cwukasch and rainy, and our Avatar of the Week: WThaddeus!

Today's mainpage article discusses how transgender characters have stormed the television landscape in recent months (think Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money and Big Shots, to name a few), and how this represents an opportunity for stereotypes about transgender individuals to be dispelled. In researching the article, our editor Michael Jensen had the opportunity to speak with transgender actress (and NYC nightlife legend) Candis Cayne, who plays the character of Carmelita on new nighttime soap Dirty Sexy Money.

Cayne's comments were far too thoughtful to be pared down to what the article allowed, so we've picked some of the interview's best bits that didn't make it into the piece and posted below. Enjoy!

AfterElton.com: How did you come to be cast on DSM?
Candis Cayne: I worked for Patricia Fields for years. Patricia Field and her assistant Molly Rogers read the script – they were doing the pilot. They read the script and there was the part of Carmelita and they thought, well, Candis would be great to play this, so they talked to Craig Wright and said, “Can we recommend somebody to audition for you?” And so, they said yes and I went in and auditioned and I got a call back and I auditioned then for Craig Wright, so it was Pat Field.
AE: Do you know how many actresses they auditioned?
CC: I have no idea. I am really curious to find out what the casting was like. I don’t even know who they were auditioning. When I came in, there was no one in the waiting room and it was just me, like, running and doing the audition for the casting people.
AE: How many episodes have you been in so far and do you know how many you’ll be in the first season?
CC: Well, I know that I’ve been in five so far, and I’ve been in four so far, and I know that I’m in two more for sure. And then after that, I’m not sure. The writers seem to be enjoying writing for me. So, and I’m obviously enjoying being on it. I guess it really has a lot to do with how the American public deals with me.