Jake

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.

• It's no surprise to learn that Heath Ledger's death is hitting Jake Gyllenhaal hard. Jake, the godfather of Heath's daughter Matilda, is taking time away from the set of his new movie Brothers. According to People Magazine just how close the two men were was evidenced when:

During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. "That was hilarious. It was a nice moment."

The source adds, "When you think back on it now, it's touching."

• We linked to Cheyenne Jackson's star cameo turn in the [title of show] show Christmas episode, but he's back and more foul-mouthed than ever in the hilarious new ep. I can't get enough of these guys, with or without profanity-spewing Broadway mancandy! (PS - I never want to hear "peanut butter haystack" and "rusty trombone" used in the same conversation again.)

• How do I make this one safe for work ... the gay porn actor who made a brief but memorable appearance as Borat's son in that movie with the really long title has reportedly undergone gender reassignment and now "Stonie" is Brittany Coxxx. The kicker? She's still a porn actor, making Coxxx one of the very few (if not only) porn actors who has worked as both a male and a female.

• Okay, how many times can this New York Magazine item refer to David Hyde Pierce as "chilly"? Hey, it's January in New York and the Rainbow Room is notoriously drafty. Okay, the insipid questions about Clay Aiken probably didn't help, either.

• Here's some photo coverage of the opening night of Celebrity Autobiography, which counts Cheyenne Jackson, Jack Plotnick, Richard Kind, Kristen Johnston and Kristen Wiig amongst its revolving, memoir-gnashing cast.

The new fall TV season is upon us which means there's a new line-up of shows to discover. However, only a third of those shows will get a second season and, unfortunately, some will be worthy of a second (or third or fourth). As a fan of "Brilliant but Canceled" shows myself, here are a few shows that included gay characters and deserved a longer run.

My So-Called Life (ABC)

A teen drama that managed to find the fine line between exploring teen angst without letting their characters come off as shallow and self-obsessed, My So-Called Life managed to realistically explore issues teens faced, especially with gay teen Ricky Vasquez, memorably played by Wilson Cruz. Despite a loyal fanbase, the show struggled against Mad About You and a freshman Friends on Thursday nights and ABC canceled the series. Reruns on MTV, however, helped the show find an even larger audience.

Action! (Fox)

A cynical and bitter view of Hollywood, Action focused on Peter Dragon, a selfish and mean-spirited movie producer fighting to maintain his clout after his latest film bombs. Peter heaped abuse on his gay assistant Stuart (played by out actor Jack Plotnick) while repeatedly losing power games against Bobby Gianopolis, a gay mogul whose generous endowment would mesmerize Peter. One of Action's many memorable episodes came when Peter has sex with a closeted star (played by Richard Burgi) in order to convince him to stay closeted. The series also featured Fab Filippo, who'd later play Justin's violinist boyfrined on Queer as Folk, as a drug addicted young star.