Out (and sunburned?) director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) at the MTV Movie 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.

• Sour Milk: The LA Times charts the development of Gus Van Sant's project, which left a 16-year-gestating rival endeavor dead in the water.

• Margaret Cho has joined the cast of Shifting the Canvas (aka The Gayest Little Movie that Ever Was, Is, or Ever Will Be, As Soon as It's Actually Filmed) playing "Marianne". She joins Alan Cumming, Matthew Montgomery, Cheyenne Jackson, Gedde Watanabe, Scott Thompson, Will Wikle, and the earthbound ghost of Paul Lynde.

• An article in the recent New York Times Magazine discussed what straight people can do for gay marriage. Easy answer: Buy us cutlery!

Ross "The Intern" Mathews at the MTV Movie Awards

• Fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent died over the weekend in Paris, at age 71, of a brain tumor.

• Ugly Betty's Alec Mapa talks about his upcoming NYC Pride show, among other things, in this revealing interview.

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

Ben Barnes

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.

• FOXNews and FOX late night took dirty swipes at Ellen, calling her wedding announcement a "danger" to her show's sponsorship and the equivalent to talking about ones "bowel movements" on television. (Remind me to wear dark colors the next time I attend the wedding of someone from FOX.)

• Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) is set to play Dorian Gray in a new film adaptation of gay author Oscar Wilde's classic (and quite queer) morality tale of obsession and vanity. The film comes from the men behind An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest, and the recent and upcoming St. Trinian's films, all of which featured or starred out actor Rupert Everett.

• In this recent audio interview, John Barrowman confirms a Torchwood third season (with an apparently very different team), hopes for season four, and mentions a variety show he has in the works.

• We'd actually heard this from the horse's mouth at last week's GLAAD Awards, but Alan Cumming has officially joined the cast of NY indie flick Shifting the Canvas as an evil real estate developer. This movie is one Paul Lynde reference away from being the gayest thing in history.

• The bill to have Harvey Milk's birthday recognized as a day of special significance in the state of California passed the Assembly, and will now go to the Senate. Meanwhile, the bronze statue to be unveiled this Thursday (Milk's birthday) will be, according to the group that secured funding for the project, the "first likeness of an openly gay person to be permanently ensconced in a civic building."

• David Hyde Pierce will host the Forget-Me-Not Gala to raise money for Alzheimer's research. Broadway hottie Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening) and Kate Burton (Grey's Anatomy) will also participate.

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Boy, this project just keeps sounding better and better! The other day we reported that out cutiepants Matthew Montgomery had joined the cast of the upcoming gay indie Shifting the Canvas as Scott Thompson's lover, and now the news has hit that local favorite Cheyenne Jackson will also appear in the film as a "straight Ivy League type". Sign us up!

The film tells the story of a ragtag bag of artsy types struggling to make their lives post-9/11 in the hipsterical Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. So ... it kind of sounds like Shortbus, but without all the penetration.

I'll be watching this one closely, as it's racking up some of my fave talent and as I happen to live in the neighborhood in question. Heck, I may angle for a walk-on! Ahem:

"Paging Mister Herman, Mister Herman, you have a telephone call at the front desk..."

You can learn more about the project at the official website.

Matthew Montgomery joins the Canvas

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.

• The Kids in the Hall (of course featuring the irrepressible Scott Thompson) are going back on tour, and from the looks of this promo video, they haven't lost their edge.

• Speaking of Scott Thompson, a film that we mentioned a while back that he's starring in has a new castmember: out actor Matthew Montgomery (Long-Term Relationship) has signed on as Thompson's partner in the upcoming gay movie Shifting the Canvas. Trick's JP Pitoc stars as a gay artist navigating the bohemia that is NYC's Williamsburg neighborhood.

• Gay author Augusten Burroughs has released a chapter of his new memoir, A Wolf at the Table, on his website, complete with four songs (Tegan & Sara! Ingrid Michaelson!) to help set the mood as you read. (the book streets April 29)

• Above is the first glimpse we've had of John Barrowman's hosting gig on the new UK game show The Kids Are Alright, which is kind of like Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, only with a much better title. Oh, and an openly gay host.

• The folks at Media Matters are going all-out in their campaign against Bill O'Reilly, and you can join them. Couldn't happen to a better guy.

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