We're launching a new weekly feature here at AfterElton.com that involves you. (Yes, you, dear reader — put down that sticky bun and listen up!) Now that there are more gay characters and men on television, we would of course like to judge them at every possible opportunity ... hence, The Battle of the Network Gays!

Every Friday we will pick the gays in television who have had the best weeks, and leave it to you, the keepers of the flame, to decide who will be crowned Gay Champion for the following week. We'll announce the winner on Monday, and that Champ will reign until a new set of challengers are introduced the following Friday to try to steal his title.

Got it? Now let's crown a champion!

We've been talking for a while now that while we love Mad Men for more than just the gorgeous ashtrays and hilarious fashions, we wish that closeted gay Salvatore (played by out actor Bryan Batt) had more to do.

Well, it looks like old Sal has had a disaster dropped in his lap, in the form of a new gay character. While the revelation isn't by any means a game-changer or a huge twist, I'll put a SPOILER warning for folks who haven't seen last night's ep and continue the discussion after the break. But I will say that it was the first time the show has tackled gay themes head-on and has bumped the series way up on our must-see list.

After the jump you can watch a short scene from last night's episode featuring the gay character, and learn more about the young actor who plays him.

Michael C. Hall brought a little Dexter to the party

So you may have heard that last night's 60th Emmy Awards wasn't quite the gay-fest that we had hoped. But still, a few moments (Neil Patrick Harris's introducing David Burtka as "my better half" to Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet; Bryan Batt's joining the Mad Men cast on stage for their big win; the clip of Sydney Pollack saying "Will's gay" from Will & Grace) were bumps in visibility, and overall the wins went to gay-inclusive and gay-fave shows (Mad Men, 30 Rock, The Colbert Report).

The show also had its low points, namely the hosting situation (ABYSMAL ... and isn't this technically what those five people are actually qualified to do? Host a reality program?) and the sad trotting out of the Laugh-In cast for a retread of the joke wall routine ... it was meant to be a celebration of the brilliance of the show but I'm sorry, it wound up looking like a rehearsal for next year's "In Memoriam" montage.

Out actor Bryan Batt (second from R) and his fellow Men
 

We slogged through about 2,472 pics this morning to find some snaps of our favorite guests, some of whom didn't appear in the broadcast or undergo the scrutiny of Seacrest and his creepy Full-Body Leer Cam.

Enjoy! (All pics courtesy Getty Images) 

David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris

Maulik Pancholy (who played gay Sanjay on Weeds and gay-ish Jonathan on 30 Rock) with castmates Jane Krakowski and Judah Friedlander

Out actor Alan Cumming (Tin Man)
 

The fabulous Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters, Muriel's Wedding)
 

Lots more after the break!

I watch a lot of television and Mad Men is by far one of the best shows on for many reasons. Whether you find Jon Hamm's mysterious yet sultry Don Draper appealing or whether you're a fan of the gender politics of the time, a huge shout out is in order to AMC for airing such a show and to Matthew Wiener for creating such a twisted masterpiece.

One of the more subtle and sometimes easy-to-overlook characters is the closeted Art Director of Sterling Cooper, Salvatore Romano, played by out actor Bryan Batt.

Elliot Lawrence (Paul Keeley)

Last season we caught a glimpse of just how repressed dear old Sal can be when he met up with Belle Jolie head honcho Elliot Lawrence. Ever since that touch and Elliot's advances we've been waiting for more insight into just where Sal stands in his own sexual skin.

I'm torn as to whether or not Sal knows 100% that he's gay; he's the best actor in the room if he does. Not only can he yuk it up with the boys and put a gal down, he's gone as far as to take a wife this season! That's right, Sal has a beard, which kills me because I'm a huge fan of Sarah Drew who plays his betrothed, Kitty Romano. Is this the biggest cover up on the show? If so, Don Draper could take a cue from our quiet queer.

Sal and his Beard (Sarah Drew)

This season has featured Sal on a weekly basis as one of the usual entourage but last night was the first time he had more than 3 or 4 lines followed by a sly smirk to play with. A couple weeks back (Ep. 2.03 "The Benefactor") Elliot made a reappearance but the two barely had a moment or two to chat. Elliot asked how Sal was doing and he coldly replied. A tense scene that spoke volumes yet there has been no follow up or focus on Sal's personal life since ... until now.

Out actor Bryan Batt (Mad Men's Salvatore) at the Season 2 premiere

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.

• Hey Randy Harrison fans! The out Queer as Folk alum is back at the Berkshire Theater Festival this summer, this time doing Beckett's Waiting for Godot. There's a fresh interview with him over here.

• George Michael performed on Good Morning America today and spoke about his history of drug busts and that fateful bathroom visit in Beverly Hills. Says George, "I meant to do that..."

• The good news: Jurassic gossip Liz Smith is reporting on George Takei's upcoming wedding just like she would on any other celebrity's. The bad news: She's doing it on FOX News, and makes a rather odd comment about William Shatner being "too butch" to attend.

• Above, ridiculously cool guest judge Natalie Portman comes out from behind the Project Runway Shadowpuppet Screen of Infamy, causing one designer to "freak out" and another to almost "pee her pants." Smell Watch what happens!

• The Newsweek cover story on the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King is infuriating and fascinating in the same breath. Is it a coincidence that the victim and his murderer both had parents with histories of drug abuse and arrests, and that both kids themselves were troubled, disruptive, and prone to criminal behavior themselves? And yet the lesbian assistant principal who supported King's self-expression is taking the heat from many of those involved. Insane.

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

Mad Men's Jon Hamm Photo credit: Getty Images/ Frederick M. March

Well, it's Day 2 of the Television Critics Association July 2008 Tour and even though it's 85 degrees outside, it's so cold in the panels that I'm freezing to death. Seriously! I just want you to know how much I suffer for everyone. (However, the frigid air is keeping the chocolate dipped strawberries just perfect!)

Anyway, I should've explained yesterday how the TCA Tour operates. Critics like myself gather from all around the country so the various networks can present their new shows thus giving journalists a chance to quiz the talent. This year it's two weeks long and all the cable networks are presenting this week, followed by ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, and Fox next week.

Up first was AMC's surprise hit Mad Men which is of gay interest thanks to the presence of Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt). Alas, Bryan wasn't part of the panel, but hopefully he'll be there when we do our visit to the set next week. I'll do my best to get some Salvatore scoop then. To tide you over until then I've provided a pic above of Mad Men star Jon Hamm who is even more attractive in person than he is on television.

Next was the MTV presentation with David Alan Grier promoting his new program David Alan Grier's Chocolate News. Just before him was comedian Dave Attell the host of the new Comedy Central show The Gong Show. I did some research on Dave as I hadn't heard of him and from what little I could gather, he somewhat frequently resorts to gay jokes that seem pretty dubious. If anyone is familiar with his comedy, feel free to share your thoughts about him in the comments.

Lots more after the jump!

Summer TV has traditionally been a wasteland of reruns and reality shows. But lately the warmer months have become a time when the cable networks roll out their signature scripted series and the broadcast nets air edgier or quirkier fare. In the tradition of my earlier look at the men of the summer movies, here are some of the guys bringing the heat to the small screen.

Matt Keeslar
on: The Middleman (currently airing, ABC Family)

Alright, so Keeslar has been on my gay pop culture radar for some time for his roles in films like Splendor, Psycho Beach Party and Urbania. (And then there's that Dune mini-series....) For a little while, we didn't see much of Keeslar, but he's hard to ignore on the ABC Family series The Middleman. With a rapid-fire wit that rivals Buffy's best moments, The Middleman's quickly become one of those shows I can't wait to see and Keeslar only gets sexier for me when I realize what great comedy chops he has.

Frederick Weller and Christian De La Fuente
on: In Plain Sight (currently airing, USA Network)

I was surprised when USA's latest procedural series (about US Marshalls working the witness protection program) turned out to be far more addicting than most of USA's shows. Maybe it's the guest stars, which have included the likes of Dave Foley and Missi Pyle. But a definite part of it is getting to see Weller and De La Fuente (who gay audiences probably remember best for playing gay on The Class) in supporting roles every week.

Grant Show
on: Swingtown (currently airing, CBS)

Alright, the pornstache really should be a turn-off, but there's something about Show's performance on Swingtown that totally makes me look past it. And I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how far his character goes when his wife's ex-boyfriend comes to town.

Dillon Casey and Lucas Bryant
on: MVP (currently airing, SOAPNet)

Business-wise, I have no idea why SOAPNet is airing this Canadian hockey soap opera, which got canceled after ten episodes. On the other hand, a quick look at the guys makes me understand why they couldn't resist airing it. Much like the Brit sports soap Footballers' Wives, there are good number of locker room scenes on MVP and that means plenty of scenes with Casey in a towel. Anything less would be a waste of a good six-pack!