Ted Allen and Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef

This year's Emmy Awards added a category for Outstanding Reality TV Host, and now the LA Times is reporting that next year's awards might add another reality TV prize, this one for reality TV judges.

My first reaction was surprise. After watching the five nominees for Outstanding Reality Host share hosting duties, I started questioning what qualified any one of them for an award. How could someone be up for an Outstanding Reality Show Host award at an event where there were doing such a bad job of hosting the industry's biggest reality show? It's kinda like if the 2002 Oscars ceremony (when Chicago took Best Picture) opened with Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones unironically recreating that infamous Snow White/Rob Lowe musical number.

And then came my second reaction: "Tim Gunn still wouldn't be eligible for an Emmy!" While there would be plenty of gays eligible for the award (such as Dancing with the Stars' Bruno Tonioli, Project Runway's Michael Kors or Top Design's Jonathan Adler) I keep thinking it'd make more sense to dedicate the category to any supporting cast member. While hosting a reality show does have its unique demands, I don't see a Nigel Barker bringing a dynamic to America's Next Top Model that a Jay Manuel couldn't.

What do you think? Will a Best Reality Show Judge Emmy debut as badly as the hosting award did? Which gay reality show regulars do you think deserve some recognition?

Let's discuss it in the comments!

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!

Above, out funnyman Neil Patrick Harris dished on his recent gig co-hosting the Creative Arts Emmys (aka the "Shmemmys") with Sarah Chalke, and made a reference to his kissing skills that I found a little disturbing. I mean, don't French horn players do something a bit ... um ... creative with their free hand?

Regardless, he's as charming and adorable as ever. And luckily for us, the full Creative Arts Emmys will be broadcast on E! on September 20th.

Hosts Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Chalke 

This weekend the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held their annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ... or, as they have been better known since Kathy Griffin vaulted them to the spotlight with her "suck it, Jesus!" acceptance speech last year, The Shmemmys. The event honors a host of behind-the-scenes talent and lower-profile categories ... although from the sounds of it, it may soon overshadow its behemoth big brother in terms of sheer character.

The awards were co-hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah "The Other Becky" Chalke ... so already this gig is one-up on the telecast, which is being hosted by an assortment of reality show mouthpieces.

Kathy Griffin gets suitably D-List on the red carpet
 

By all accounts the show itself was a lot of fun, as evidenced by these pics ... one of which below the break is NSFW (if you can believe that!). The crowd was full of gay and gay-fave celebs and there were some winners in our team as well:

Kathy Griffin won Outstanding Reality Series (again), and Sarah Silverman (whose own show has two central gay characters) won two awards for her "I'm F*cking Matt Damon" video, which she dedicated to now-ex boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel. Desperate Housewives' Kathryn Joosten (Karen McKlusky) picked up a second statue for guest acting, and out actress Cynthia Nixon picked up an award for her guest spot on Law & Order: SVU. AMC's Mad Men (which has a gay character) scooped up a handful of awards, and gay-inclusive South Park and The Simpsons both picked up awards in the animation categories.

The full awards will be broadast on E! on September 20th, but in the meantime, check out more pics of guests and the show after the jump! 

Bishop Gene Robinson and Judith Light (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.

• At top, Judith Light and Bishop Gene Robinson (the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop) get chummy at the NYC premiere of Save Me, in which Light plays a woman who runs a gay "reparative therapy" mission. The film, which co-stars out actors Chad Allen and Robert Gant, opens in select cities tomorrow.

• And speaking of Chad Allen, Out in Hollywood caught up with him to ask a few questions about his upcoming gig on General Hospital: Night Shift, as well as a CSI where he plays a psycho.

• Loath though I am to link to TMZ, this video of a drunken Lily Allen getting into a squabble with co-host Elton John at the GQ Men of the Year Awards is pretty amazing. Consider the torch passed, Elton.

Emmy presenters Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris

• ABC has just announced that Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenoweth will be co-presenters on the Emmy telecast, echoing their lively turn at the nominations ceremony (NPH is also co-hosting the Shmemmy Awards with Sarah Chalke, remember). Also announced as an official presenter is none other than Shmemmy-winner (and noted Jesus suckit-er) Kathy Griffin. Also, the entire world has gone crazy.

• Sir Cliff Richard has been living with a former Catholic priest for the better part of a decade and is tired of people asking about the nature of the relationship. Well, look at the bright side, Sir: Here in the States people are more likely to ask, "Who the hell is Cliff Richard?"

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

NPH's star continues to rise: It was just announced yesterday afternoon that he will be co-hosting the Creative Emmy Awards with Scrubs's pantyhose-challenged Sarah Chalke.

Remember, the profile of the Creative Emmy event has risen considerably since Kathy Griffin told Jesus to "suck it" when accepting her award for My Life on the D-List (she affectionately refers to the Creative Emmys, which take place before the live primetime broadcast, as "The Shmemmys").

And with the considerably more colorful world of reality becoming more legit (bringing more categories to the Shmemmys), NPH and Chalke's brilliant humor might be the perfect fit. Go Neil! (And please bring David with you. He's too cute.)

This morning gay actor Neil Patrick Harris and gay-fave Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies, Wicked) announced the nominations for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the crack of Jesus in Los Angeles.

In a nutshell, Pushing Daisies, the wonderfully loony brainchild of out exec/writer Bryan Fuller, killed it this year with 12 total noms (behind only 30 Rock, which is also awesome, in total noms for a network series), along with cable series John Adams and Mad Men. Gives hope that American audiences aren't as stupid as they think we are.

Among the gay, gay-friendly, and gay-adjacent noms were...

UPDATED: Initially, Zeljko Ivanek (Damages) slipped past me - he played a gay (albeit closeted and kinda evil) character. Also, Oliver Platt and Sharon Gless were nominated for playing gay guest characters on Nip/Tuck.

Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series

Lee Pace as Ned in Pushing Daisies (gay-fave)

Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama Series

Michael C. Hall in Dexter (gay-fave)

Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series

America Ferrera in Ugly Betty (gay-fave)

Tina Fey in 30 Rock (after her shout-out to gays in her acceptance speech last year, I'm calling her a gay-fave) 

Outstanding Lead Actress in Drama Series

Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters (gay-fave) 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother (out actor)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Kristin Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies (gay-fave) 

Vanessa Williams in Ugly Betty (gay-fave)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Zeljko Ivanek for Damages (gay character) 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Rachel Griffiths in Brothers & Sisters (gay-fave) 

Outstanding Lead Actor in Mini

Ralph Fiennes in Bernard and Doris (gay character) 

Outstanding Lead Actress in Mini 

Susan Sarandon in Bernard and Doris (gay-adjacent) 

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Will Arnett as Devon Banks (gay character) on 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Oliver Platt in Nip/Tuck (gay character)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Sharon Gless in Nip/Tuck (gay-fave) 

Bunches more after the jump...

Mitch Hewer as Maxxie on Skins

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.

• Fans of randy British teen dramas rejoice! Skins, a beloved (and racy!) nighttime soap featuring Mitch Hewer as gay teen Maxxie, will premiere on BBC America in August.

• John Barrowman took second place as Britain's cheesiest celebrity, barely nosing out Graham Norton but losing to former EastEnders star Shane Richie. The contest was run by a cheese company who should probably put themselves on the list next year for devising such a pungent promotion.

• And speaking of Barrowman, could he be on the list of Doctor Who companions who might be killed off (if you listen to rumors) in this weekend's big finale?

• Good news: Both Neil Patrick Harris and T.R. Knight have made the Emmy nomination "short lists". No, I'm not making fun of their stature.

• Gay video retailer (and porn distributor) TLA is coming under fire for making Heath Ledger's full-frontal in I'm Not There the selling point for the DVD in their catalog. On the one hand, the pickle-shot in question is certainly news to me. On the other, a dead guy's junk is a pretty trashy way to sell a DVD.

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

Who's who? John Barrowman David Tennant Catherine Tate something something

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.

• Great news, Torchwoodies and Barrowmaniacs®: Captain Jack and team will be appearing on the Season 4 Doctor Who finale (yes, Ianto will be there, too, although he's not in the above pic).

• A book by a gay man about double-dating with his octogenarian father? What's more, it's got the brilliant title Assisted Loving? Sign me up!

• Since we have a policy of not speculating on the sexuality of celebrities, I'm just going to go ahead and wish Garfield a "Happy Birthday" without any further comment. 

• Out actor Neil Patrick Harris and gay-fave Pushing Daisies (and Wicked) star Kristin Chenowith will announce the nominees for the 60th Annual Primetime Emmys on July 17th.

• I'm as big a fan of gratuitous beefcake as anyone else, believe me. But isn't Mario Lopez trying a little hard lately?

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