That Darn Tat

Judging by the spate of Lipton's Sizzle & Stir ads (featuring Loni Anderson and Mr. T), many ex-TV stars are hungry for publicity. Not Leave It to Beaver's Tony Dow, who has taken offense at TV Land's recent ad campaign that adds digital tattoos to a vintage photo of Dow and costar Jerry Mathers. On March 7, Dow sued Viacom's rerun-heavy cable net, claiming the skin markings cast him in ''an unwholesome and negative light.'' (He also seeks at least $250,000.) A TV Land spokesman won't comment on the suit, though he notes the campaign's other stars (including a goateed Don Knotts and a B-boy-styled Art Carney) have not complained. Tattoos.com editor Damian McGrath resents the notion that tats are unwholesome: ''If his mind was any narrower, I could floss my teeth with it.'' Now that sounds like needling.