On August 11, Lifetime will premiere Russian Dolls, a reality show about a bunch of unruly Ruskis traipsing around Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood. We got our first look at the show today—see the trailer above—and unfortunately it confirms our previous suspicions that Russian Dolls will be nothing more than a cheap Jersey Shore ripoff. But with more techno music. And vodka. [via Gothamist]

Earlier this month, a fight broke out on the Brighton Beach boardwalk in Brooklyn, and a teenager was shot and killed. That's tragic. Now, residents are calling for everyone on the boardwalk to be searched. That's asinine.

A fight broke out on a crowded boardwalk in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon, culminating in gunfire that killed one person and injured four on the hottest day of the year so far. It's unclear what started the fight (apparently, one man hit another with an umbrella just before the shooting broke out) or who two of the victims are (the woman who died and a man in "grave condition" were both wearing bathing suits and not carrying ID), though police apparently have one person in custody. It's hard not to think that the heat was partially responsible—both for bringing huge crowds to the boardwalk, and for fraying nerves and heightening tempers—but, for what it's worth, studies show that hot months have similar crime rates to cold months. [NYDN; image via @Copacabanaa]

Producers have been hawking Brighton Beach, a Russian version of Jersey Shore since March. Lifetime just ordered 12 episodes of the show. But it won't be like Jersey Shore. This one is about family!

It's a very exciting adventure for her! Also today: a sad story about Mike Myers, a sad story about Jimmy Smits, a somewhat happy story about Maura Tierney, and a sad story about a beloved Brooklyn neighborhood.

The producers who made Jersey Shore are now working on literally-named spin-off The Persian Version. This is in addition to the Asian version in L.A. and the Russian version in Brighton Beach. Reality television: 21C minstrel shows?

Since it was the most important sociological event of our time (and a ratings success) there will inevitably be dozens of new reality shows trying to rip it off. Just stop now. These are always horrible ideas.

A Russian bookstore in Brighton Beach has been greeted with local protest after it was discovered that the shop carried anti-Semitic books, going so far as to display one, titled The Jewish Question in Russia, in its front window. Owner Vladimir Trainin, who has since disposed of the books, claims to have no idea that his shelves were stocked with the offending material, noting that he's a Jew (self-hating, naturally). The books in question included Why America is Dying, The Myths and Truths of Jewish Pogroms, Jewish Society Coup and, our personal favorite, What We Don't Like About Them — no word on whether the store was carrying all 17 volumes of that one.