Out (and brilliant) funnyman Stephen Fry and friends launch his new book, Stephen Fry in America

Following this 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 ever-fashionable Tim Gunn will be hosting an upcoming event benefitting GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis): Fashion Forward will showcase the fashions of several new, established, and rising designers and benefit a worthy cause. Check out more details and a promo video over here.

• I've loved me some Bryan Batt since he delivered that hilarious Les Miz monologue in Jeffrey. But the Mad Men star's thoughtful responses in his interview with CNN about gays in Hollywood makes me love him even more.

• Straight Daniel Radcliffe has a non-sexual man-crush on his Equus co-star, the also-straight Lorenzo Pisoni. He notes, "If I was gay or a female I'd just want to marry him. He's gorgeous, and he's a really cool bloke as well." And then he blinded him with an awl.

• Above, our news-minded sibs at 365Gay have the final word on the Mark Foley intern harassment case.

• To say that the New York Musical Theatre Festival was "really gay" might seem a no-brainer. But seriously, this year's lineup is, like, reallyREALLYgay.

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

A CHANCE TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE CITY?
Gay-friendly MMO City of Heroes announced the next expansion and there could be interesting days ahead: Architect will introduce player-created content, along with "day jobs" (or secret identities), two new powersets, a new reward system and more features. As I mentioned when the game hit its fourth anniversary, I think the ability for players to create their own missions could mean a lot for Paragon City's very active gay community.

Overall, the Mission Architect system certainly sounds promising since we'll be able to "weave characters and story throughout multiple missions in a single arc" which should allow for some pretty deep missions. However, one aspect that has my attention is how player-created missions will be evaluated: Players will rate story arcs created through the Mission Architect and some stories will be designated "Dev's Choice" by the game developers, which will make the mission give out rewards equal to the official missions.

By giving players the ability to create game content, we could have a way for gay-inclusive stories to become a part of the game and a way to bring gay characters into the fabric of Paragon City, even if content created through the Mission Architect most likely won't become incorporated into CoH continuity.

The potential downside lies in the community evaluations. Not only will players be evaluating stories submitted through the Mission Architect, it sounds like subscribers will also be able to report offensive content, meaning missions that include gay content could be marked as offensive simply for the inclusion of gay characters ... otherwise known as the YouTube effect.

The wedding of Manticore and Sister Psyche

Since I can already hear the cries of "Why does there need to be such a big deal about sexual orientation? I don't care if a character is gay or straight." from the usual suspects, I'll point out that that City of Heroes has had stories where heterosexual relationships were front and center. We've seen Calvin Scott seek out heroes to help his wife and the "Wedding Pack" was promoted with an in-game wedding between two major characters, so sexual orientation has been a part of the game.

USA VIA TARDIS:
While I don't entirely trust the original source, I have to admit I'm more than a little intrigued by the rumor that two of the three upcoming Doctor Who specials might be set in the USA. The three specials will be Russell T. Davies' last Who stories and considering how Davies brought a gay sensibility to the long-lasting sci-fi franchise, I can't help but dream up what he might come up with, including possible American companions.

I can't help but think of an American sci-fi series with a gay sensibility, Pushing Daisies, and how much fun it would be to see Kristin Chenoweth paired up with David Tennant. Combining those two high-energy performers would make for an explosive combo.

Kristin Chenoweth

Since Davies gave us one openly gay man in the role of a sci-fi hero, why not repeat that feat here by teaming the Doctor up with Neil Patrick Harris? Considering the two actors' flair for comedy, they'd be amazing to watch together.

Neil Patrick Harris

One thing dampening my excitement is the fact that Davies has discussed being a Britney Spears fan (you might remember Davis' second episode featured the Spears single "Toxic") and there were rumors she might appear on Who a while back. Then again, maybe she can be related to villainess Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen, who introduced "Toxic" as an ancient earth love song. I did like Lady Cassandra.

But who would your dream American companion for the Doctor be?

GETTING CLOSE TO CAPRICA:
I usually end up totally geeking out at this time of the year, as the Television Critics Association is a time when some interesting TV news and discussions starts coming out. Here’s one rumor that has me particularly excited – the Sci-Fi Channel has reportedly ordered two scripts for the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica.

That’s encouraging news since I long had the impression that Caprica’s pilot would air as a mini-series before the network would decide to make it a series or not, as it did with Galactica. This probably means that The Sci-Fi Channel thinks Caprica is good enough to please us Galactica fans. Hopefully there’ll be some official news when the Sci-Fi Channel has its TCA session next week.

EMBRACING TRACING PAPER:
Scandal apparently broke out last week amongst the YAOI community in Japan when Embracing Love creator Youka Nitta admitted to having traced images from various fashion ads. You can check out a collection of side-by-side comparisons at this Japanese web page. As Brigid Alverson notes, I find it interesting how Nitta frequently took images of opposite-sex couples and changed them into male couples:

The page that got Nitta in trouble and the ad that inspired it.

Nitta’s faced a few consequences as her work seems to been dropped from an upcoming issue of Be-Boy Gold magazine and she’s also canceled her planned appearance at YAOI-Con. I wonder if this will further affect the availability of Nitta’s work in the United States. Embracing Love is hard to find due to financial trouble at Be Beautiful, the publisher who licensed the title, a situation that became even more complicated when the Japanese publisher Biblos went into bankruptcy and put Be Beautiful’s licenses in limbo. DMP just published one of her titles earlier this year and has another title coming out in December.

If it's up to American audiences, I doubt this will hurt Nitta’s presence here. While her tracing is a big scandal in Japan, I’ve seen a few American artists whose tendency to copy and alter images became a running gag (like Greg Land and Rob Liefeld) and it didn’t seem to hurt them. Then again, maybe manga audiences will react differently.

I know Nitta has a few fans here (and I probably would be one of them if I ever could find myself a copy of the second volume of Embracing Love); does this change your impression of her work in any way?

After the break: Gays in games and comics ... and what's Stephen Fry doing in this column?

Cheyenne Jackson (R) and designer/Ugly Betty star Kenneth Cole

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.

• In his attempts to get a crowd of extras riled up on the Milk shoot, Sean Penn referred to Sean Hannity as Rupert Murdoch's "butt boy". Er ... probably not the best choice of words, Sean.

• Broadway's Cheyenne Jackson will host the Live Out Loud Young Trailblazers Gala, a benefit for the organization, which aims to provide mentorship and support to LGBT youth. Seriously, Cheyenne, you can stop trying so hard to make me fall in love with you. It's getting a little embarrassing.

• Up north, Canadian Television (CTV) allegedly yanked an "ex-gay" ministry ad after receiving complaints that it was discriminatory. (Warning: links to a religious site, if you're not into that kind of thing.) If so, good for them.

• The BAFTA television award nominees have been announced, with three gay men (Stephen Fry, Simon Amstell, and Alan Carr) up for the Best Entertainment Performer prize. Additionally, out actor Sir Antony Sher is up for Best Actor for his role in Primo.

• Curtains, the show for which David Hyde Pierce won a Tony (and thanked his partner when receiving it), will close on June 29th after 537 total performances.

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

Cheyenne Jackson in The Agony and the Agony

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.

• Anyone want to hear Cheyenne Jackson read aloud from the autobiography of Mr. T, Tommy Lee, or Elizabeth Taylor? He'll be participating in the Celebrity Autobiography series starting January 28th, so you just might have the chance!

• We know you've already sent a mountain of chocolate to CBS in support of As the World Turns' Luke and Noah, but if you have a second it wouldn't hurt to fill out the net's latest soap poll and give a boost to everyone's favorite Alpha Daytime Gay Teen Couple.

• It's been rumored that Morrissey's management has said that they are trying to secure playdates for the crooner in Tehran, where homosexuality is punishable by death. Well then it's a darn good thing he's not gay or anything, huh?

• This is probably the awesomest digital photo craze since StuffonMyCat: Sleevefacing. Someone please break out their Grace Jones vinyl and send us some snaps!! (tip of the bowler to the kids at WorldofWonder for the lead.)

• Brit wit Stephen Fry isn't sure why straight actors are lauded for their bravery when they have on-screen gay kisses when gay actors are expected to kiss women like there's nothing wrong with it, adding, "I'll kiss a frog if you like."

The Daily Telegraph recently announced the shortlist of finalists for the 2007 Morgan Stanley Great Briton Awards. The awards are fairly new, established in 2004 with sponsorship from Morgan Stanley, The Daily Telegraph, and the Royal Society of Arts, as a way of honoring those people who have made significant contributions to British life over the course of the year. Candidates are nominated by the public, with thousands of names submitted each year. The nominations are then narrowed down to three finalists for each of the seven categories (Arts, Business, Campaigning & Public Life, Creative Industries, Environment, Science & Innovation, and Sport) by a panel of judges.

This year, two openly gay men were among the 21 finalists; Ian McKellen, nominated in the "Arts" category, and Stephen Fry, who scored a nomination in the category of "Creative Industries".

The Telegraph elaborates on McKellen’s nomination:

One of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, McKellen has been honoured with more than 40 international awards for his performances on stage and screen. While movie blockbusters such as X-Men and Lord of the Rings have brought him international stardom, he originally found fame playing the title role in Edward II both on stage and television. In 1972, McKellen co-founded the Actors' Company, earning him a reputation as a spokesman for actors and the British theatre in general. He also remains an outspoken advocate for the gay rights campaigning group Stonewall. This year he returned to the stage to great acclaim, appearing in the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Seagull and in the title role of King Lear. The judges described McKellen as "one of the last great actors" who delivers a "quality of acting that you have to be awed by". His performance in King Lear; perhaps Shakespeare's most demanding role was, said one judge, "simply brilliant".

And of Stephen Fry:

Comedian, writer, actor, filmmaker, television personality - Stephen Fry is one of the great British polymaths. As one half of the Fry and Laurie double act, he has appeared in A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster, while also bringing Oscar Wilde to life in the cinema and making a successful career as a novelist. Fry has spoken publicly about his experience with bipolar disorder and has presented a documentary about it, Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic-Depressive. The two-part series was broadcast in 2006, repeated in March 2007 as part of the BBC's programming in aid of Comic Relief. He was nominated for Best Entertainment Performance (QI) and Best Factual Series (Secret Life of the Manic Depressive) at the 2007 British Academy Television Awards. The judges agreed that Fry is "the epitome of everything British, both modern and old" and - despite his huge intellect - a man who can communicate in a down to earth manner.

Hopefully Fry has some chance of winning his category because, with competition from J.K. Rowling, McKellen unfortunately doesn’t stand much of a chance.

• The critics aren't digging Stephen Fry's Cinderella pantomime, which they found to be too gay and too vulgar. Um ... aren't we talking about pantomime here?

• Anderson Cooper told a funny story on Regis and Kelly today, and also proved that his obsessive watching of My Super Sweet 16 has left him with superior drunk-chick imitation skillz.

• A brightside spoiler for you Dirty Sexy Money fans: Michael Ausiello sez Carmelita (Candis Cayne) isn't dead following her disappearance in the last episode, but she has been abducted. Now it just remains to be seen who had her 'napped...

• This new The Moment of Truth gameshow sounds like just about the worst idea ever.

• The Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation (wasn't that a Kinks song?) has surveyed the East Village and may make the legendary Pyramid Club the city's first "drag landmark". The polysexual bar was a staple of the downtown scene in the 80s and has boasted performers ranging from RuPaul to Blondie to Nirvana. (For more great pics like the one above, check out this site.)

• Ever wanted to ask David Hyde Pierce a question? Here's your chance.

• ABCnews.com asks "If There Was a Gay-Straight Switch, Would You Switch?" That depends on whether I'd have to give back the toaster I got when I joined.

• John Barrowman has a Dalek in his front hall that says things like "Nice *ss." Why am I not surprised?

• Be sure to read all about Mario Lopez's shirtless, gay-friendly holiday movie in Michael's Best.Gay.Week.Ever. column, and have a great weekend!

Pardon my Yankee if I speak in vague terms and mumble a lot in this post, because over here in the States "pantomime" means "those people in Washington Square park who pretend they're in an invisible box and ruin a perfectly good Dean and Deluca picnic lunch".

Over in the UK, "pantomime" refers to an increasingly gay theatrical tradition of exceedingly camp productions that involve a lot of wholesome sexual innuendo, men in drag, and a skewering of classic tales. The productions are apparently quite popular around Christmastime (there are currently several in the works, including Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Aladdin) and are something of a national pastime, from what I can tell.

We'd reported earlier on gay matinee idol John Barrowman starring in Aladdin this season, and now it seems that Sir Ian McKellen may be joining the production in drag. Taking this with the fact that gay luminaries like Stephen Fry, Mark Ravenhill (best known for his scathing play, Shopping and F*cking) and Jonathan Harvey have been brought on to write these family-friendly pieces, many have begin to wonder if this tradition of putting men in dresses and camping it up with lots of ribald sexual double-talk has something gay about it.

Um ... yes?

Not for nothin', but that kind of Christmas production makes our chorus-boy-strewn Rockette-fest at Radio City look like a Larry the Cable Guy special. Can any Brit readers shed some light on the Panto phenom? Is this something that American entertainment needs to get on quick and ruin, like Coupling?

A nifty behind-the-scenes teaser trailer was released last week for Valkyrie, openly gay director extraordinaire Bryan Singer's upcoming World War II epic, due out next summer. Valkyrie is based on a true story and revolves around the German plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Tom Cruise stars as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, with Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, and Stephen Fry rounding out the rest of the cast. Early footage looks promising and I've got high hopes for the film, as I've loved just about everything Singer's done, including the vastly underrated Superman Returns.

Singer's filmography is fascinating in that he obviously has a predilection toward films with themes he can relate to; growing up both Jewish and gay has obviously influenced him a great deal. After all, few filmmakers would have opened a big budget superhero film in a Nazi concentration camp or included a "coming out" scene, as he did in X-Men and X2, respectively.

It will be interesting to see how Singer handles a film more explicitly about these themes when he tackles the Harvey Milk biography, The Mayor of Castro Street, which Singer is still (as far as I know) attached to direct, before he moves on to the Superman sequel. That film will be in competition with Gus Van Sant (another openly gay director) and his, as yet untitled, Harvey Milk project, already in pre-production.

UPDATE: A higher quality version of the teaser has been uploaded to the Apple website, in glorious Quicktime.

• The New York Times' Ben Brantley has mostly glowing things to say about Charles Busch's Die Mommie Die! Alas, he doesn't say anything about Van Hansis!

• Out Aussie singer Darren Hayes causes a minor ruckus trying to update his blog. I can SO relate!

• Queerty interviews the always hilarious and insightful Dan Savage.
  

• Stephen Fry is filming a documentary about driving across America and wants you to snap pictures of his car if you see him. I guess this means he's too cheap to hire his own publicists.
  

• Lance Bass will be in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and elsewhere to promote his autobiography which is out tomorrow.

• If this trashy British magazine just LOVES Mark Indelicato then what's with the tacky pictures?