This image was lost some time after publication.

Yesterday's edition of PrivacyWatch, in which reality star "Bachelor Bob" was spotted hugging a man , spotted again with a man in "too short" shorts and a "George Michael" beard, and inspired a discussion of how hetero men can hug in a "non-gay" way got us thinking: How exactly can a male celebrity hug a man in public without seeming gay and possibly jeopardizing his career? Tom Cruise seems to employ entire law firms full of litigation-crazed homophobes just to scare away anyone thinking the G-word within a 500-foot radius of him.

So, as a service to our readers, we present the The Defamer Male Celebrity's Guide To Public Man-Hugging Without Seeming Gay And Possibly Jeopardizing Your Career.

1. Avoid hugging men in public at all costs. The only sure solution is abstinence from all man-hugging activity. Preempt hugs by anticipating an embrace, and quickly offering an extended hand for a firm, hetero-feeling handshake, or if the occasion calls for it, one of those complicated, multi-staged "soul" shakes. Never "step into" an oncoming hug; this may work with punches in a fight, but in a man-hug situation, will make you seem even more eager (read: gay) to throw yourself into another man's arms.

2. When avoiding a hug is impossible: Make it brief, use one arm, and include as much back-slapping with the free arm as you can. Any first-year frat boy or high school sports team member could have told you this one. Extra points for loudly, ironically referring to the hugger as a "big homo" for insisting on a hug.

3. Keep your publicist nearby at all times. A good publicist will not only help to break up a man-hug-in-progress, but will dive between the torsos to prevent one in the first place. If you're stuck in the clutches of a hugger and there are spectators, the publicist will offhandedly explain your totally innocent relation to the man in your arms or work in an irrelevant reference to your wife/girlfriend. Spectators will be so thrilled to hear that you're taken that their minds will be virtually erased of the man-hug and its possibly homosexual overtones.

4. Avoid man-hugs with European-style double cheek kisses at all costs, even if you have to fake an injury or dive on the ground. Everyone knows that the Europeans, without all of our American hang-ups about sexuality, get carte blanche to dabble. If you can't avoid the double-kiss, step back once the embrace is broken, act slightly uncomfortable, and dab at your cheeks with a moist towelette.

5. Make liberal use of your publicist/studio-supplied "girlfriend" or "wife." If you happen to actually be gay, but are obscuring that fact from the public for career reasons, such as an upcoming blockbuster action movie, you may be provided with heterosexual-seeming companionship. If you have significant image problems, you may marry this person. In the presence of this "beard," you may man-hug with impunity. A quick kiss on the cheek for your other-sexed insurance policy following a public man-hug carries the weight of full-on, hetero-missionary penetration for all onlookers, paparazzi included.