Names
Vanna White was a vision in pink yesterday at Joe Milano’s Union Oyster House. White, who’s made a great living turning letters on “Wheel of Fortune,’’ was shooting vignettes that will be included in episodes of the game show taping this week at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Vanna’s bits from the Oyster House will appear between segments of the shows when they finally air Nov 3-10.
Jeers for ‘Beer’ guy
Tucker Max, the smug scribe of the bestseller “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,’’ was jeered last night at a screening of the about-to-be-released movie based on his book. For those of you who haven’t read it, “Beer’’ is all about the author’s exploits with women, drinking, and being an all-around jerk. (Max is played in the film by Manchester, N.H.-born actor Matthew Charles Czuchry.) At previous stops on this publicity tour, protesters have gathered to rail against Max and his treatment of women. It was no different outside the AMC Harvard Square last night, where Max’s critics carried signs questioning his taste, integrity, and judgment. “They’re half-[wits] and everything they say and stand for is off-the-charts kooky,’’ Max said. “If I don’t respect women and promote a rape culture, why do I have so many female fans? It doesn’t make sense. I’ve sold a million books, and you don’t sell a million books only selling to men.’’Brady No. 8?
There was much buzz in the gossip and sports worlds yesterday after the Wall Street Journal ran a story claiming that Atlanta Falcons (and former Boston College Eagles) star Matt Ryan (inset) is the best-looking quarterback in the NFL - and that Tom Brady is only the eighth most attractive QB, behind Ryan, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Hasselbeck, Ben Roethlisberger, and Shaun Hill. The WSJ story was based on a Ursinus College study that ranked the players’ facial symmetry, one of the main ways that humans determine attractiveness. Yesterday, the Ursinus associate professor responsible for the study, Jennifer VanGilder, explained that the point of her project was not simply to rank hot football guys. Her study aimed to determine whether better-looking QBs are paid more than they should be. (VanGilder teaches economics.) What VanGilder discovered was that yes, attractive quarterbacks tend to make about 5 or 6 percent more than they should based on performance - including Ryan and Brady. VanGilder said she’ll follow the study with projects about whether attractiveness determines a football player’s position and whether good-looking criminals get more lenient sentences. “It’s just ridiculous how attractive quarterbacks are,’’ she said, laughing. For the record, VanGilder doesn’t think Ryan is the best looking QB in the league. She doesn’t think Brady is either. “I’m a Steelers fan. I think that Ben’s a good-looking guy.’’People issues Kennedy cover
This week’s issue of People magazine - in Massachusetts, that is - has the late Ted Kennedy on the cover. While Jaycee Dugard is on the cover everywhere else, People has issued a special Kennedy cover just in Massachusetts. The issue hits newsstands tomorrow.Pierce stays in the lane
Paul Pierce, who has been in Boston to work on his “The Truth on Health’’ anti-obesity campaign, took some time Tuesday night to tour Patrick Lyons’s new club, Kings Dedham. As you might expect, the venue is a lot like the Kings in Boston, just at the sprawling Legacy Place shopping center in Dedham. Pierce plans to host “The Truth Strikes Again,’’ his charity bowling tournament, at Kings Dedham in November.Crashing in the corn
Bridgewater residents may be hearing a bump in the night soon. Producers of the new Tom Cruise movie are planning to use pyrotechnics when they film in a cornfield there Sept. 24 and 25. According to The Enterprise of Brockton, an official with 20th Century Films told Bridgewater selectmen that the scene centers on characters played by Cruise and Cameron Diaz in the aftermath of a plane crash. The production assistant said filming will take place overnight, and there may be “some kind of noise.’’ The untitled movie - originally called “Wichita’’ - is a spy thriller directed by James Mangold. Owned by the Haseotes family, the 263-acre field is being prepped now. Selectmen were told that as many as 20 trucks and camper offices will be on-site during the two-day shoot. Scenes will also be shot in Central Massachusetts, where workers were yesterday building sets inside the Worcester Airport.
Slate to join ‘SNL’
Another comic with a local connection is joining “Saturday Night Live.’’ No sooner did Burlington’s Amy Poehler depart “SNL’’ than Wellesley’s Michaela Watkins was tapped by Lorne Michaels to join the cast. Now comes word that Milton native Jenny Slate will be on the show. (Slate’s manager didn’t return our call yesterday.) In an interview last year with Boston magazine, Slate fondly recalled her days at Milton Academy, where she was valedictorian. “Yeah, I was,’’ she said. “It was voted on. The person who would best represent the class. Probably the person who was the least drunk.’’ The season premiere of “SNL’’ is Sept. 26. Actress Megan Fox has told the press she’s hosting, but the network has not confirmed that.
Around town
Actress Uma Thurman will be honored at the Boston Film Festival. The “Kill Bill’’ star, who was born in Boston and grew up in Western Massachusetts, will receive the Film Excellence Award, and her movie “Motherhood’’ opens the fest on Sept. 18. . . . Pats tight end Benjamin Watson, his wife Kirsten, and daughter Grace Mikayla shopped for needy families at BJ’s Wholesale in Dedham the other night. The food and other supplies will be given to 84 needy families at Watson’s annual Big BENefit Food Giveaway Sept. 12.Dining with the stars
Ashley Judd has an excellent appetite. The actress, who’s currently enrolled in the Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program at Harvard, stopped by Lucky’s Lounge the other night with her hunky husband, race car driver Dario Franchitti. (It had been recommended to them by Richard Chudy, who writes BostonBurgerBlog.com and also cooks for Judd while she’s at Harvard.) Lucky’s chef Nick Dixon told us Ashley and her man both ordered Kobe burgers with bleu cheese, grilled onions, and smoked bacon, and dessert was Dixon’s signature Nutella sandwich. The couple licked their plates clean. “I pretty much killed it,’’ said Dixon. Lucky’s has hosted a string of celebs this summer, including tough guy Chuck Liddell, Ben Affleck, and comedian Rob Schneider. . . . Spotted: Jennifer Garner and her two daughters grabbing slices to go at the Upper Crust Pizzeria yesterday afternoon in Cambridge.Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
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