Really? Who on Earth decided that that last joke was even remotely appropriate? Much less funny? I mean, come on ... Michael Jackson jokes in 2008? Forget offensive, that's just plain lazy.

The first nine jokes in the Top Ten List about pregnant transgender man Thomas Beatie showed that yes, you can make jokes about an undeniably odd situation without being offensive. And being a longtime fan of Letterman, I'm really shocked to see him resort to such a nasty low.

Leno, Kimmel, move over. Three's a crowd.

Dreamgirls' Deena Jones as a Broadway Bear

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.

• I'm just gonna go ahead and place my bet that the complete collection of Broadway Bears for this year's Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS auction is the best thing I'll see all day.

• Don't forget we're liveblogging the premiere of Big Brother 9. Why? Because it includes a gay and bisexual housemate chosen because they seem compatible. Ooohhhh...

• Hey, single NYC guys and fellas whose boyfriends don't mind your ogling Broadway's humpiest triple-threat on Valentine's Day: Cheyenne Jackson and the Xanadu kids will be performing live this Thursday at Macy's, and signing bare chests autographs after.

• GLAAD got the New York Daily News to change an insensitive and defamatory headline about a transgender murder victim. Yes, I'm talking about THAT New York Daily News. No, this isn't Opposite Day.

• A gripping photo of two Hungarian gay men waiting for medical help following anti-gay violence took second place in the 51st Annual World Press Photo contest's "Contemporary Issues" category.

• BFFs Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight were snapped smoking cigarettes behind a truck on a beautiful winter day. Loving the shoes and the arms. The cancer ... not so much.

• Out.com interviewed actor/director Bob Balaban, who directed the HBO movie Bernard and Doris. (Be sure to check out our interview with star Susan Sarandon and review of the film.) Anyone remember one of Balaban's feature directorial debut, the wonderfully creepy Parents?

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

It’s not the first queer adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist (that would be the 2003 film, Twist, which portrayed Oliver as a modern day street hustler) nor is it the first musical version (that would be Oliver!, which was first brought to the London stage in 1960 before being remade as a beloved film in 1968).

But Twist, a new musical opening next month at LA’s Avery Schreiber Theatre, is, however, the first queer musical retelling of the classic story. Featuring a catchy collection of pop-rock songs composed by Paul Leschen (writer for the Scissor Sisters) and witty lyrics and book by Gila Sand, Twist has earned a collection of honors including a nomination for Outstanding Music at this year’s Drama Desk Awards.

Theatermania.com provides a summary:

By turns outrageous, provocative, and emotionally riveting, Twist weaves Victorian erotica, dark comedy and gender-bending into Dickens's famous tale as it re-imagines Oliver as an attractive young man, still searching for love, but driven by physical desire. Whether submitting to punishment at the Workhouse, or succumbing to the charms of a flirtatious Artful Dodger, Twist is always begging for more.

Set in London's late 1800s, Twist's journeys land him in underworld household of prostitutes and pickpockets, ruled over by Fagin, a stunning male dominatrix with a nasty temper. A unique retelling of a classic, Twist entertains with exquisite drag, arch wit, a bit of kink and a catchy set of new contemporary songs. Yet the show remains surprisingly true to Oliver Twist, a coming-of-age tale of loneliness, craving, adventure, and finally, redemption.

You can listen to several of the musical’s catchy songs at the Twist website and an additional number, "Sucker" (which happens to be my favorite) at the official MySpace page.

Twist opens on December 1st and plays every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the 29th . Tickets can be purchased in advance at Theatermania.com.

I’ve included a few more pictures of sexy newcomer Brandon Ruckdashel, as Oliver, and transgender actress Alexandra Billings, as Fagin, after the jump.

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:

Next Tuesday, November 20th, is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes those who have died as a result of anti-transgender violence or prejudice. To commemorate the day, GLAAD has released a new PSA in their "Be an Ally & a Friend" campaign that features transgender actress Alexandra Billings, T.R. Knight, Rex Lee, Jamie Bamber and more.

Check out the video after the jump, and head on over to GLAAD's website for more on the campaign.

In an apparent continued effort to stockpile the finest examples of the worst aspects of human nature, Fox Reality has begun airing famously controversial reality show There's Something About Miriam, which asked 6 bachelors to compete for the affections of a hot babe who was later revealed to be a pre-operative transgender woman.

When the Crying-Game-esque finale was filmed, the winner initially went along with the show and agreed to the prize money and trip with Mexican stunner Miriam. But once cameras were off he got himself a lawyer and the six contestants (one of whom apparently broke down in tears when he learned the truth about Miriam) filed a suit against the producers to stop the show from being aired, citing all sorts of fraud and even conspiracy to commit sexual assault (as some of the men had kissed and hugged Miriam, which totally sounds like "sexual assault" to me!).

The guys eventually settled and the series aired in the UK, and rather than let this rather unsavory piece of reality competition trickery get washed away by history, Fox Reality has decided it demands to be seen in the States as well. (It began airing last night ... get it? Halloween?)

This follows shortly after Fox Reality picked up the shelved Playing It Straight reality disaster, which similarly used alternative sexuality (and, more importantly, straight male contestants' horror at the idea) as a hook. We wrote recently about how the landscape for transgender characters on television is slowly changing for the better with shows like Dirty Sexy Money and Ugly Betty, and Miriam is an example of the kinds of sensationalistic gags that are better left behind.

As a side note, a quick glance at the shows on the channel's slate reads like something out of an Onion article. These are just a few of my favorite titles: Totally Embarrassed, Train Wrecks, Sexy Cam, Strip Search, Sexy Behavior Caught on Tape, Cheating Spouses Caught on Tape, The Adventures of a Nobody, Busted Everywhere (?!), Driving School, My Bare Lady, My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, That's Just Wrong, World Famous for Dicking Around, and America's Trashiest Weddings.

Okay, I'd probably watch that last one.

It's being reported that the lead actor for Ryan Murphy's sex-change drama 4 oz has been cast (although it's just "Untitled" for now), and it's none other than Shakespeare in Love himself, Joseph Fiennes. Fiennes (who played gay for Murphy in Running With Scissors) plays the transgender lead (who will undergo transition to female over the series' run) and Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner will play his parents.

Considering Fiennes famously wooed Danner's daughter Gwyneth in his breakout role, it's kind of nice to see her playing his mom here. Given the explosion of transgender characters in recent months (everywhere from the doc series Trans Generation to Ugly Betty to Dirty Sexy Money to Big Shots) it's about time we saw a pilot ordered with a lead transgender character. Now we just have to see if it's good, and if FX picks up the show.

• FX has reportedly greenlit a pilot for Ryan Murphy's (Nip/Tuck) transgender series 4 oz., which details a married gynecologist who undergoes a sex change over the planned five-season arc (the character was a sportswriter when last we reported on the project). Murphy will direct and co-produce with Brad Pitt. (t/y Josh!)
  
• Paul Reubens is reportedly joining hype-crazy Pushing Daisies (created by out Bryan Fuller) in a recurring role. Awesome.
• USA Today is running an opinion piece on just how significant the de-wrapping of The Advocate really is.
  
• I know people are all stoked about Vicky Pollard and Daffyd making the trek across the pond for the much-anticipated US version of Little Britain, but it's duplicitous Fat Fighters taskmaster Marjorie Dawes that I'm really excited to see make the trip. Seeing this unimaginably evil woman in the land of the Super-Size is going to be downright horrifying.
• The trailer for gay filmmaker Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan rumination, I'm Not There, is on the web, and despite not being even a tiny bit a Dylan fan, I'm So There. How crazy is it that of all the actors playing Dylan, Cate Blanchett is the closest fit, looks-wise?
  
• Ross "the Intern" Mathews is the cover boy for next month's Instinct, and yet he still speaks in non-gender-specific terms regarding his love life, noting in the press release that his "special someone" has been elusive so far. "It would be nice to be swept off my feet. I want to cut through all the rest: the ones that don't work out." It's fine to not discuss your sexuality on The View or Tyra, but the cover of a gay magazine is a bit different, no? Oh, right ... guess not! UPDATE: a friendly reader noted in the comments that the article itself does refer to Mathews as a gay fella.