George Michael

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.

• Above, George Michael kicks off his "25 Live" North American tour in California, bouyed by recent high-profile appearances on Eli Stone and American Idol. It's great to have the out international star back onstage (and not in the tabs!) where he belongs.

• Lou Ferrigno reveals that "Bruce Banner" was changed to "David" for the Hulk TV series because execs thought it sounded "too gayish", adding, "I thought it was the most absurd, ridiculous thing I've ever heard." The part about playing a big green guy with a yak's hair wig, on the other hand? Totally reasonable.

• TIME's ten questions with David Sedaris.

• Be sure to mark your calendars for May 15, 2009: Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Austrian fashionista character, Bruno, will invade American theaters with an oversized man-purse filled with gay panic jokes. 

• According to the London Times Online, Little Britian's Matt Lucas to "divorce" his "husband," whom he "married" 18 months ago. Does anyone find that a bit "condescending?"

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

• Attention David Sedaris fans: he has a new essay in this month's New Yorker ... about traveling Business First. Hey, why not? I mean, you can't write the funniest holiday-themed memoir in existence more than once, after all ... or can you?

• Not only was recently-AfterEltoned Ugly Betty newbie David Blue robbed of any screentime as Cliff in the latest episode, but he was also robbed of ... well, he was robbed! He's not been hurt, thank heaven, and you can read his firsthand account (secondhand) of the incident.

• In his new book, The Naked Man: A Study of the Male Body, forward-thinking academic Desmond Morris moves past his previous "lack of male influence" theory and postulates that gay men become gay because they never "break" from other boys in childhood, or had disappointing sexual encounters with women at a young age. Morris's next book apparently hinges on a groundbreaking medical use he has found for leeches.

• Completing a self-skewering television trifecta (following his previous turns on Little Britain and the upcoming Extras Christmas finale), George Michael plays himself on an upcoming Catherine Tate Christmas special.

• Paul Schrader talks to gay pub HX about his upcoming gay escort movie The Walker and why star Woody Harrelson won't do interviews about it.