Charlize Theron is a sweet treat for Pudding

Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron proved to be a worthy opponent for the hams of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals at yesterday's Woman of the Year ceremonies.

As they do every year, the Pudding People showed their award winner no mercy, teasing the 32-year-old South Africa native for being "all legs and bad action movies." (Pudding prez Evan Eachus said Theron was so bad in "Sweet November" that "it was the only time someone saw a Keanu Reeves movie and said he wasn't the worst actor in it.")

More animated than last year's honoree, Scarlett Johansson, Theron gave as good as she got. Asked, for example, to prove her acting chops by wooing an elephant in Afrikaans, her native tongue, Theron looked at the audience and said, "I have an [expletive] Academy Award."

Sometimes called a triple threat because of her ability to act, model, and dance, Theron demonstrated all three talents yesterday inside the recently renovated New College Theatre. "I was about to do the worm," Theron said after doing some saucy bun-shaking to a techno beat. But Eachus wasn't about to let the Pudding Pot recipient up for air: "I haven't seen anyone move that quickly since the audience fled the theater after 'Eon Flux.' "

Before receiving her hardware, the "Monster" star took matters into her own hands to get the Hasty Pudding parade into gear. "I am Woman of the Year!" she announced as she got into a rust-colored Bentley convertible. As the slowly moving caravan began its trek west on Massachusetts Avenue, Theron was given a few smooches by the cross-dressing zanies of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. When one of the Harvard undergrads' wigs fell off, Theron quipped: "What? You're a man?" Theron seemed very interested in seeing more of Harvard Square, even tapping her driver on the shoulder with an offer. "I did 'The Italian Job,' if you want me to take over."

Theron joins a Woman of the Year roster that includes Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Halle Berry, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Before the whole shebang got started, Theron, her S.O. Stuart Townsend, and their Hasty hosts ate lunch at Z Square on JFK Street. Perhaps steeling herself against the good-natured insults about to be hurled her way, the actress enjoyed a few PJ Martinis, a potent concoction of peach puree, blueberry vodka, and peach Schnapps. "The only challenge today was trying to keep the amount of liquor down that they were feeding me," she told reporters after the ceremony. "I did about 74 shots."

Theron extended her stay in the area to do some promotional work for her new flick "Sleepwalking." The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will roast their Man of the Year, Christopher Walken, next week.

Asked to compare the Oscars with the Pudding program, Theron quipped that there are certain similarities. "I want to say I've never been surrounded by so many fake breasts," she said. "But I went to the Academy Awards."

Manny Ramirez is involved in yet another eBay auction, but this one won't generate any controversy. The Red Sox All-Star is donating a 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible for an online auction to benefit Boston's Franciscan Hospital for Children. (Last year, the outfielder auctioned off a friend's gas grill on the site.) Ramirez's car will be up for bid, starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow, with all proceeds going to the hospital.

Former acting governor Jane Swift surprised nearly everyone at her annual Children's Hospital fund-raiser by announcing she's running the Boston Marathon. The ex-pol told supporters at the Taj Hotel soiree last night that she's training as part of the Children's Hospital team.

For Donnie Wahlberg, getting an award last night from the Tufts-New England Medical Center was special enough. But for the Celtics fan to be nominated by C's captain Paul Pierce? Priceless. "I'm humbled by his nomination," Wahlberg told us. "But that it's in Boston is what makes it so great." Also honored were geneticist Dr. Diana Bianchi and Eastern Bank CEO Richard Holbrook. And what of persistent reports that Wahlberg's former band, New Kids on the Block, will reunite? "Nothing's concrete," he said, "but anything's possible."

Before any of the 600 guests arrived at last night's annual dinner for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, more than $1 million had been raised for local programs. Among those on the guest list for the event, held at the Westin Copley Place hotel: Patriots owner Robert Kraft and wife Myra; Bank of America's Brian Moynihan; Fidelity's Abigail Johnson; Channel 7 owner Ed Ansin; Colliers Meredith & Grew president Kevin Phelan, and Michael Bronner, founder of Upromise and Digitas.

John Rich of Big & Rich, singer Gretchen Wilson, and Alabama's Randy Owen have joined the lineup for a Feb. 25 concert in Providence benefiting the survivors of the fire that killed 100 people five years ago at The Station nightclub. . . . Queen Latifah will headline the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center's gala at the Four Seasons Hotel March 15.

With the notable exception of Michael J. Fox, most of the cast of "Family Ties" showed up at the Museum of Science last night to mark the release of Gary David Goldberg's new book. The creator and producer of the hit TV show, Goldberg has written a memoir titled "Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went From Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair." Attending last night's event were Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Bateman, and Tina Yothers. A similar get-together was held in New York Wednesday night, and Fox did attend that one.

After a day of exposure to Harvard, Paris Hilton managed to expose herself to local fans at The Estate's first anniversary party Wednesday night. We hear the celebutante suffered a wardrobe malfunction, losing her top for a moment just after she jumped on stage at the club for a quick dance. Clubbers said the skin flash was brief, and Hilton was fast to cover up after noticing her spaghetti-strap dress had taken a nosedive. She spent the rest of the night gripping the gown. Hilton was joined at the party by Tom Brady sidekick Will McDonough, "Real World: Boston" veteran Syrus Yarbrough, club owners Joe and Ed Kane, and Las Vegas prankster Jeff Beacher, who brought along a circus entourage, including a ringmaster and bewigged Oompah Loompahs.

Meredith Goldstein contributed to this column. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.