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When Lady Gaga took the stage at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night, she managed not to discuss the town's recently departed superstar LeBron James. But she did announce to the sold-out crowd that earlier in the day, she had written a brand-new song that was destined to be a hit.

"I wrote a #1 record in Cleveland," she told her throngs of little monsters, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, adding that she had skipped a private tour of the city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to work on the song in her tour bus recording studio.

Earlier in the day, she took to her Twitter account to proclaim the same thing, writing, "Emerging from studio coma. Voted no visit to RockNRoll Hall of Fame, rather write a hit that puts me in it."

Gaga didn't actually play the song in question, but she did rip through a rousing version of "You and I," the new song she premiered at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball last month and has been performing at Monster Ball stops ever since. In theory, it's all leading up to Gaga's much-anticipated new album, which, according to a recent Rolling Stone interview, is totally finished but won't be released until "early next year."

Gaga also told the magazine that she plans on getting the title of the album tattooed on her body and then releasing the photo at midnight on New Year's Eve.

"That a woman created Bella's man-worshipping, abuse-excusing pathology is baffling – luckily strong heroines abound elsewhere"



So. Twilight Eclipse. Wolfboy Jacob lurks nudely, rudely, buffly, looking ever-ready for some lupine tussling out yonder. Vampire Edward appears to be struggling with constipation. And Bella, how goes it with her? Do you know, I can't remember. Who is she? Nobody. What does she do? Nothing. Where is she without men? Nowhere. Want to know what Bella's secret power is? It's the power of negation. She's such a deadzone of psychic antimatter that supernatural mojo doesn't work on her. Other characters' magical skills simply dissolve when they encounter the sullen ringfence of her anticharisma.

Bella's passivity, the oppressiveness of her boyfriends (presented as protectiveness), the fetishisation of female victimhood and the unstinting justification of the guys' abusiveness have spurred a strong feminist backlash against the books – a backlash which I fully support. Part of our sense of disturbance and bafflement is that while all the misogynist elements of Twilight are detectable in mainstream arts and the media, they are rarely created by women.

Why would a dynamic, creative, prolific and talented woman like Stephenie Meyer write a protagonist as useless as this? Why would she create bullying males and set them up as love objects? Do young women despise themselves so much that the very best they can fantasise about is trailing around after not one but two bullies? It's puzzling. I grew up obsessively reading adventure novels by Tamora Pierce, the Worst Witch series and all sorts of bronze breastplate Amazonian guff. The women in these books bristled with chagrin and energy, as did their lovers, allies, enemies and friends. How could publishing have taken such a drastic backwards step in just 15 years?

It hasn't, actually. It's just that Twilight's broad success has eclipsed (sorry) the really interesting work for young-adult readers. As even the most cursory Amazon trawl will demonstrate, there are countless women writing brilliant heroines and nuanced heroes and supporting characters, without Bella's insipid man-worshipping, abuse-excusing pathology. The most exciting series out now is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Based around a lethal survival game with teenaged participants, these punchy, fierce books come barrelling off the shelves, all plots blazing. Be warned, they are too exciting to be read in bits. You'll finish them, panting with adrenaline, and want to run around the block throwing the pages into the faces of passers-by.

The characters in Justina Robson's science fiction/cyberpunk novels are foul-mouthed, ripped, funny, tough and chippy, as befits their dystopian settings, where anything bad might happen at any moment. The same goes for the paranoid heroine of Ann Aguirre's space fantasy novels, as well as the complex and enthralling Serrano space opera series by Elizabeth Moon, Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars and Crossroads series and Trudi Canavan's swords-cloaks-and-psychics novels. Patricia Briggs and Sheri S Tepper are also worth a dose to get Twilight's whiny wolves out of your system. Not all these authors are writing specifically for readers in their late teens – but book lovers in their age bracket will get hooked nonetheless.

I've saved the best for last. The prolific, erudite and consistently brilliant Celia Rees is justly renowned for her dizzyingly inventive plots, redolent of everyone from Angela Carter to Shakespeare. Sovay and Witch Child are two of her best-known books in the younger market, but she has written countless more, all equally breathtaking.

The same goes for Helen Dunmore. Dunmore is one of England's finest living writers, as her recent highly praised adult novel, The Betrayal (the sequel to the bestselling The Siege), proved. Her Ingo series invents a dark aquatic realm of haunted mermen and appropriately protean, shifting temptations and nightmare-challenges. If you want true literary genius, read Jeanette Winterson's young-adult novels, a stunning new facet of her career which began with Tanglewreck. They're too clever for me to summarise.

Finally, a secret favourite about which I will say little: the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. A powerful witch queen is prophesied to come and save the world – or is it that she'll destroy the world? Who is this interloper? Is she a fraud? Does anyone actually want her? And what is she up against? … Look, just read them. Now.

So, back to Twilight. How does it compare? As Bella might say: whatever.

Stephanie Pratt can definitely relate to troubled party girl Lindsay Lohan. Back in October, the Hills star was busted for DUI after leaving a Hollywood bash. The 24-year-old, who has admitted to drug and alcohol addiction in the past, spent 30 days in a rehab facility and was subsequently sentenced to three years of probation.

At Tuesday's series finale party for her MTV hit, Pratt offered advice for Lohan, who is to report to jail July 20 for a probation violation related to her own 2007 DUI. "When I got in trouble again, instead of spiraling, I took it as a positive and I was on trial," Pratt told UsMagazine.com.

"I took it as G-d was testing me... If [Lindsay] just does her time and gets the help, I see her having a great comeback. I really think to always keep a positive outlook on everything."

Still, although many predict Lohan will only serve a fraction of her 90-day jail sentence, a source says in the new Us Weekly that the actress is in "total denial" about her fate.

With more outrageous Mel Gibson material being released each and every day, the latest installment finds the actor berating his former flame with further insults.

Focusing on monetary matters, the "Lethal Action" star says that Oksana cost him $5 million already, adding that he “doesn't have any f**king money!”

Ranting and raving, Gibson professes, “F**kin’ user! You f**kin’ used me! I will never forgive you!”

Responding to the accusations, Grigorieva replies, "You're very mean," to which Mel angrily responds, "I’d like to show you what mean really is!"

To cap it all off, Mel then went after Oksana's parenting skills, fuming, “Look at yourself. And look what you’ve done. Look what you’ve f**king done! Look at your son. He’s a f**king mess. You f**king excuse for a mother. You’re a f**king bitch!”

The framed letter from President Obama hangs in the hallway outside Matt Weiner's office. "He wrote to say he enjoyed Season 3," the Mad Men creator says, giggling in disbelief. "He was congratulating me on my and the show's success, and I wanted to say, 'But wait, you're the successful person.'"

The president was merely speaking for the quality-TV nation. In three seasons, Mad Men has gone from being a cool retro diversion to one of the most stylish, seductive shows in TV history. Last season ended in a mushroom cloud of hope and despair. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his most trusted companions in advertising walked away from the Sterling Cooper agency to launch a risky start-up. But Don's personal life imploded as his wife, Betty (January Jones), slapped down divorce papers and flew off to Reno with political aide Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley). Last we saw, Don was moving to Greenwich Village to start over.

The Mad Men crowd is notoriously tight-lipped, but Weiner and several cast members agreed to tease what's ahead for Season 4.

"It might have been impulsive, but making this break from Don made Betty feel stronger and more powerful than she ever has," Weiner says. That doesn't mean she's any closer to asking "Who am I?," the theme that dominates the new season. As the show moves into the more turbulent part of the '60s, "all the characters are seeing consequences to their [past] actions," says Hamm, though not everybody's ready for the era's consciousness raising. Says Weiner, "There's a feeling on the writing team, about Betty, that she's a woman who will learn as little about herself as possible."

For more Mad Men Season 4 scoop, as well as an exclusive photo album featuring your favorite cast members, pick up this week's issue of TV Guide Magazine, on newsstands Thursday, July 15!

Fanboys of the world, get ready to go green. As all of Hollywood (and many a costumed nerd) gears up for next week’s Comic-Con convention in San Diego, EW provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of next summer’s highly anticipated superhero movie Green Lantern. Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot who becomes a ring-wearing intergalactic superhero in this massive sci-fi epic from director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). Though Reynolds has prior experience in the superhero realm from his role as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, playing Green Lantern involved some major challenges, like getting hurled through the air on a wire at up to 60 feet per second to create the illusion of flight. “The first time you do it, you’re seriously considering an adult diaper,” Reynolds says. Still, he couldn’t resist the chance to play the beloved DC Comics hero, whose power ring can conjure virtually anything he can dream up. “Will and imagination are his superpowers,” Reynolds says. “We need a circus of Timothy Learys to think of things Hal would invent with his ring.”

Our opinion: We think he looks hot and WILL be a great Lantern.

HBO just released the official loglines for True Blood‘s five August episodes and, as per usual, they’re pretty damn spoilery.



Episode #31: ”Hitting the Ground”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 1
“Imperiled by Lorena (Mariana Klaveno), Sookie (Anna Paquin) goes to extremes in her attempt to save Bill (Stephen Moyer)—with unforeseen consequences. Sam (Sam Trammell) infiltrates a dogfighting ring to extricate Tommy (Marshall Allman) from his parents’ (J. Smith Cameron, Cooper Huckabee) greedy influence. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) heads to jail to uncover the truth about Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher); Summer (Melissa Rauch) makes a home-cooked play for Hoyt’s (Jim Parrack) affections; Debbie (Brit Morgan) vows revenge on Alcide (Joe Manganiello); Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) uses Hadley (Lindsey Haun) as bait to get information from Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood); Russell (Denis O’Hare) turns his back on the Authority, and on the Magister (Zeljko Ivanek).”

Episode #32: ”Night on the Sun”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Shaken and disillusioned, Sookie rethinks her relationship with Bill. Sophie-Anne takes up a new residence as Russell plots his next move. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Bill reconcile; Jason throws down the gauntlet in hopes of saving Crystal; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) gets a surprise visit from his mom, Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodard); Sam tries to keep Tommy in check; Merlotte’s gets a new waitress; Eric proves the depth of his allegiance to Russell. Sookie finds herself in a vulnerable position when Alcide needs to deal with a family emergency.”

Episode #33: “Everything Is Broken”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 15 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“With the ratification of the Vampire Rights Amendment at hand, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) detours to Fangtasia to confront Eric about the Magister’s disappearance. A grief-stricken Russell vows revenge against his foes, vampire and human. Awaking from a slumber, Bill uncovers the truth about Sookie’s true identity. Jason gets unexpected help as he goes up against Felton (James Harvey Ward) and Calvin (Gregory Sporleder). Sam is distressed by Tommy’s attitude; Tara (Rutina Wesley) encounters a new ally and an old tormentor; Hadley introduces Sookie to a new family member; Arlene (Carrie Preston) despairs about her future; Hoyt confronts his true feelings.”

Episode #34: ”I Smell a Rat”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face. Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V. Sam’s recent fit of rage triggers dark memories. Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly (Lauren Bowles) for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt. After communing with Talbot (Theo Alexander), Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.”

Episode #35: ”Fresh Blood”
Debut: SUNDAY, AUG. 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
“Bill tries to earn back Sookie’s trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers. Knowing he’s no physical match for the King, Eric tempts Russell with the “ultimate vampire dream.” Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystal’s revelation. Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara. Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Holly’s help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons.”