Dog Eat Dog's emergence as the summer's escapist hit just might have a little to do with host Brooke Burns' knockout punch. Currently featured in the near-altogether in Stuff magazine, the 24-year-old Dallas native and former Baywatch co-star modestly states the obvious during a recent breakfast interview. "That young male demographic is something that's never an easy thing to get," she says. "And since the beginning of time, young guys have liked to look at young, pretty girls. Genius!" NBC entertainment president Jeff Zucker, the genius behind the move to put babes in charge of both Dog Eat Dog and Spy TV (Ali Landry), has a tougher time explaining himself. His verbatim answer goes like this: "Um, uh, you know, look, um, Brooke and Ali obviously are, um, um, are, are good-looking women and, um, and I do think are, um, are assets to the programs, especially to the audience that has gravitated toward them, particularly young men." More stunning in person than on-screen, she's happy to be hosting NBC's hottest new commodity. All 13 episodes were taped in a month's time, and the show recently was picked up as a midseason replacement. "Sometimes you get something that you think is going to be a piece of trash and it turns out fantastic," she says. "So you have a good time, you enjoy yourself and you brace yourself for the future no matter what it is." Tonight's edition of Dog Eat Dog will put Burns in the company of six Playboy Playmate contestants vying for the game's $25,000 cash prize. The game is a blend of derring-do and borderline brain power. But there are no gross-out activities, and Burns encourages contestants instead of belittling them. _ Ed Burns Dallas Morning News