Somewhere a pop culture scholar is evaluating reality shows and the modern nature of loyalty. Or he should be.

That notion came to mind as I watched "Brooklyn 11223" (11 tonight, Oxygen), a docu-series about a group of Bay Ridge (and adjacent communities) 20 somethings with a kind of "West Side Story" twist.

The loyalty issue comes with that twist; our series begins by introducing us to Joey Lynn and Christie, once thisclose. Now the pair are at odds because Christie believes Joey Lynn slept with her boyfriend about three years ago which isn't a very loyal thing to do. Of course, Christie doesn't know this for certain, it's what she's heard. She's never discussed it with her former friend; in fact, Christie thinks the hard evidence is that while Joey Lynn has denied it, she hasn't denied it enough. Yep, it's stupid.

The best thing Aaron Spelling ever did might be not leaving his daughter Tori a bunch of money. With that act, he unleashed a lot of creativity and business savvy. The woman is now an author, reality TV star, clothing designer. And she's found multiple ways to use her name.

Her latest way is "Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings" (Oxygen, 10 tonight), which showcases the new effort for the multi-tasking mother -- planning weddings.

Yes, Dean's there too, but it's pretty clear this is Tori's thing; he's being supportive and at this point, they are a brand. That's OK, the show is delightful.

Whether you watch "All About Aubrey" (Oxygen, 10 tonight) probably depends on whether you have any idea who she is. And I could understand why you don't.

Yet although it's a little racy for the teenage girls who probably know who she is and would want to watch, there are some teachable moments on the show that makes it a little more than just promotional.

Some brief background: Aubrey O'Day was part of Danity Kane, a group rapper/super producer Sean "Diddy" Combs put together on his MTV reality show "Making the Band." The group went on to score two hit albums before fracturing. O'Day was actually fired as the cameras rolled.

Russell Simmons is a character.

He's the man who co-founded Def Jam Records, and gave us the likes of Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys, among others. Then he diversified, launching a clothing line, moving into TV, even presenting a debit card.

He's a yogi who will curse you out in a second. He's a father of two girls who pursues much younger models with abandon. He's a major philanthropist, who's all about making money.

Characters can be great fodder for reality TV. But sadly "Running Russell Simmons" (Oxygen, 10 tonight) wasn't great.

In this era of branding, the profile of the stylist has risen considerably. Those are the folks who pick the clothes for fashion shoots, videos, appearances; they help establish the image that creates a lasting impression.  Or at least the impression of the moment.

"The House of Glam" (Oxygen, 11 tonight; moving to Tuesdays at 10 next week, and then Wednesdays at 9, starting Nov. 3 -- I know, that's crazy) chronicles the adventures of the stylists of the B Lynn Group, an image agency that works with big name celebrities. In the first episode, everyone from P. Diddy to Rihanna to Kate Moss to Will Smith is name-dropped.

Naturally, because this is a reality show (Oh, I mean docu-series), there's drama amid all the fashion, but apropos of the atmosphere is seems to be mostly diva snits over artistic vision and compromise, and basic cattiness. It's a fashion show -- you know there has to be a lot of attitude living in this house.

Journalism has taken me many interesting places and so it was 15 years ago in Los Angeles that I ended up at my first hair battle.

Back then, it was a fringe movement, a kind of traveling road show featuring hair of any hue coming down the runway set to music.

It was wild and fun but the creations were still recognizably hair styles.

Not anymore. The fantasy hair design world, as it's now called, is all about creation. These are artistes. The point is to tell a story on the head, through hair.

That's the premise that fuels the cheeky "Hair Battle Spectacular" (Oxygen, 10 tonight), a competition show that brings 10 stylists together and pits them in a series of battles to win $100,000.

I guess we should blame "The Sopranos" for all the love New Jersey is getting these days. MTV's "Jersey Shore," Style Network's "Jerseylicious" and Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" all feature the Garden State.

Or at least the part that features boisterous Italians, tans, big hair and plenty of cleavage.

The latest entry is "Jersey Couture" (Oxygen, 10 tonight), which also features an Italian family, big hair and plenty of cleavage. But I'd say this show has more heart than the others. These people are not embarrassing.

Chopping Block (8pm, NBC) - The contestants must shop for ingredients in Little Italy and then prepare a meal for Italian customers, who include Vincent Pastore and Mario Batali (left).

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (8pm, Fox) - One of the contestants is competitive eating champion Joey Chestnutt.

Dance Your Ass Off (9pm, Oxygen) - A repeat of the debut of Oxygen's popular new reality series in which twelve plus-size contestants dance to shed pounds and compete for $100,000. The show is hosted by Tony Award-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, who also competed on "Dancing with the Stars." New shows air on Mondays at 10pm.

Staff writer Sheon Ladson loves Tori Spelling. So we thought, who better to sit in on a "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" conference call.

The two were talking because the new season of the Oxygen show start tonight at 10.

Here's Sheon's report:

Reality television can be hard on a family, but Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott say they aren’t worried.

The stars of the Oxygen network show “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” say, if anything, being under the constant glare of cameras is bringing them closer.