Don't forget to floss.

September 30, 2005 9:17 AM

"It is with full knowledge of the law that I'm now telling you that if you do not attempt to make restitution I will attempt to kill Ted Turner, and if he is unreachable in his ivory tower, then I only need kill one CNN employee and it will be on your hands."
This is the story of Sean Dix.
posted by Silune (62 comments total)

CNN gave Dix's dental floss product a bad review. Dix got mad and threatened them. There: I just saved you five minutes.
posted by squirrel at 9:25 AM on September 30, 2005

this floss sucks!
posted by mcsweetie at 9:34 AM on September 30, 2005

That seems like an invention that solves a problem that wasn't really that much of a problem.
posted by drezdn at 9:35 AM on September 30, 2005

Or that those weird flossing sticks would do better.
posted by drezdn at 9:36 AM on September 30, 2005

Dellusions of significance don't mix well with a naive faith that all will work out in the end.
posted by allen.spaulding at 9:36 AM on September 30, 2005

Moving to Montana soon
(yipee-ya-yo-tay-yay)
posted by Meatbomb at 9:37 AM on September 30, 2005

Silune, you aren't Dix are you? 'Cause if you are, I'm afraid to post that I think Dix is a nutjob. I feel bad for the guy, but that doesn't make him less of a nutjob.

I loved this from the Injustice Busters website:
This is a wonderful first person account of one man's fight for his rights and insistence on telling the truth. In the spirit of the Creative Common, and because everyone should know about this story, injusticebusters is proud to present:

apparently not getting what you want=injustice.
posted by OmieWise at 9:38 AM on September 30, 2005

"I willed this to happen," Dix told U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper in a rambling, sometimes incoherent 20-minute screed read before the judge sentenced him. "I will not rest ... until CNN has made me whole."

I don't think he's going to be getting much rest anytime soon.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 9:38 AM on September 30, 2005

Think of the sweet endorsment deal Dix missed with the release of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy...

"One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them."
...but two rings to to have clean teeth!

...maybe the deal wouldn't be as sweet as I imagine.
posted by bachelor#3 at 9:38 AM on September 30, 2005

So, big business uses an informal network of media and legal allies in order to bully an repress lone innovators and small time entrepreneurs.

We should have understood this from the beginning. We should have realized that the "go it alone" strategy in business in this country is not going to last long.
posted by ewkpates at 9:43 AM on September 30, 2005

Is he going to invent GarotteRings(tm) next?
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:45 AM on September 30, 2005

Sounds like a good villain backstory, ala Mr. Glass from Unbreakable or the Czech guy in The Peacemaker -- he's gone over the edge and clearly Must Be Stopped, but you sorta feel sorry for him. That is, as opposed to cartoony, (early) Darth Vader, pure evil-type villains.

So maybe the guy will get a comic book deal.
posted by LordSludge at 9:48 AM on September 30, 2005

Picking through a post where every word is a link is really obnoxious and tedious. Anyone got a URL among the many that just tells the story?
posted by xmutex at 9:50 AM on September 30, 2005

Try the second one. All the rest is commentary, now go and learn.
posted by OmieWise at 9:58 AM on September 30, 2005

This is the only link you need to read.
posted by mkultra at 9:58 AM on September 30, 2005

"...shows like the one they did on me can make people go off the deep end!" - ya' think?
posted by ericb at 9:58 AM on September 30, 2005

there's a real question about corporate influence on the mass media here ... on the other hand, there's a certain question about this guy's sanity, too

like the government, the media are paid for what they do and say ... they're whores
posted by pyramid termite at 10:04 AM on September 30, 2005

Try the second one. All the rest is commentary, now go and learn.

OmieWise, I would have hit him with a rod, but I like your approach better.
posted by kosem at 10:08 AM on September 30, 2005

I didn't know Ted Turner was dating Bo Derek
posted by spunk at 10:08 AM on September 30, 2005

First mistake: don't tell your investors, potential investors and national sales team to watch a television report on your product until you've seen it first. As they say, not all press is good press.
posted by ericb at 10:11 AM on September 30, 2005

I feel so sorry for him. Seriously. What a totally desperate, unwise act. Poor guy.
posted by redteam at 10:11 AM on September 30, 2005

Poor guy.

Yeah -- his obsession is sad -- 6,000 faxes to facsimile machines throughout CNN's organization!
posted by ericb at 10:13 AM on September 30, 2005

He got CNN's attention all right... I guess he just didn't figure out what when the mainstream media does a story on something, it does it primarily for its own benefit -- not others'.
posted by clevershark at 10:15 AM on September 30, 2005

All the links seem to be years old. What's going on with the guy now?
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:16 AM on September 30, 2005

The guy is less worthy of sympathy than the people who get hooked into giving a Daily Show interview without realizing it's a comedy show.

If CNN's Jeanie Moos comes knocking on your door, you've got to know you're about to be skewered.
posted by nyterrant at 10:21 AM on September 30, 2005

He should be grateful it wasn't 60 Minutes coming for an interview.
posted by ericb at 10:24 AM on September 30, 2005

He should be grateful it wasn't 60 Minutes coming for an interview.
posted by ericb at 10:24 AM PST on September 30 [!]

Hiyoooooooo!
posted by basicchannel at 10:32 AM on September 30, 2005

That seems like an invention that solves a problem that wasn't really that much of a problem.
Perhaps not for you, but I imagine you don't have arthritis or excema either. Those with those particular ailments would find something like incredibly helpful.
posted by Lusy P Hur at 10:33 AM on September 30, 2005

Interesting story, well-made post. I wonder why he didn't just sue them. But then again, WTF is CNN doing pieces on floss for? Just not enough happening in the world right now?
posted by fungible at 10:33 AM on September 30, 2005

This is the only link you need to read.

Interesting story, well-made post.

I'm not sure offering a bunch of Google links on a story that was mildly interesting 4 years ago is a good post. I generally hate it when people comment on the quality of the post instead of the post, but WTF is there to discuss here?
posted by mrgrimm at 10:44 AM on September 30, 2005

but WTF is there to discuss here?

Already mentioned:

So, big business uses an informal network of media and legal allies in order to bully an repress lone innovators and small time entrepreneurs.

The many times where 'one hand washs the other' and 'big business' tries to use the contract to 'squash' the little guy is documented....but that doesn't mean THIS time it is not true, or is true.
posted by rough ashlar at 10:52 AM on September 30, 2005

I've never heard of Sean Dix: a situation I don't blame CNN for not remedying.
posted by thejoshu at 10:59 AM on September 30, 2005

All the links seem to be years old. What's going on with the guy now?

He's on the FEMA short list. Cause' he can really make people move.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:02 AM on September 30, 2005

So, big business uses an informal network of media and legal allies in order to bully an repress lone innovators and small time entrepreneurs.

Oh please. CNN does positive stories on minor inventions all the time. But the floss rings were stupid. Not something usefull for many people. He was dumb to invest all his money in something so silly.

Also, he's clearly not all there. I mean, he sent 6k faxes, when he could have sent a certified letter. And then "

It is with full knowledge of the law that I'm now telling you that if you do not attempt to make restitution I will attempt to kill Ted Turner...

If he claims he has 'full knowlage of the law' then obviously he should be in jail.
posted by delmoi at 11:04 AM on September 30, 2005

Those with those particular ailments would find something like incredibly helpful.

But wouldn't they also have a problem tying the floss to the ring? Wouldn't it be easier to just buy one of those floss wands where your fingers aren't involved and you can just wrap it tight?
posted by drezdn at 11:17 AM on September 30, 2005

Of course they would. That's why he developed the floss attachments.
And keep in mind we're talking about several years ago, before those floss sticks were available.
posted by Lusy P Hur at 11:21 AM on September 30, 2005

But then again, WTF is CNN doing pieces on floss for?

Amid the many links and articles there was this: " I am convinced that CNN did, in fact, do a hatchet job on the guy to scare away potential investors in an attempt to cash in on his expiring patent." It seems a little far fetched, but then again, it is CNN we're talking about.

I for one, enjoy the many links to different articles. Each seemed to have a slightly different angle (well, as many angles as this story could have) and Silune did put them in order of priority. Good post.
posted by Hanover Phist at 11:31 AM on September 30, 2005

As someone's already pointed out, if I invented something and found that Jeanie Moos showed up looking to do a story on it, I'd pretend not to be home or something like that.

Unless my invention was a puns dictionary, which would then be sure to get a great review...
posted by clevershark at 11:41 AM on September 30, 2005

America is great! I predict more of these public personal failures in the next years to come. Hopefully the rest of us can maintain a nice enriched vantage point from which to watch the real-life tragedies.

// cooking popcorn.
posted by nervousfritz at 11:53 AM on September 30, 2005

I can't find a reference anywhere, but I'm pretty sure he's still in prison. He's made it clear even while behind bars that he would continue his stalking of Turner and CNN employees if released, so I can't imagine him getting parole or anything like that.
posted by BoringPostcards at 11:54 AM on September 30, 2005

That's what he gets for trusting CNN to make or break his business.
posted by deusdiabolus at 12:30 PM on September 30, 2005

Okay, it's a stupid product. People buy stupid products all the time -- watch late night TV to see. But the galling and typical part, I think, is how CNN's reporters and producers decided "with full knowledge" to destroy the guy and his silly little product all to produce a pointless "humor" segment.

Whether it was a corporate kill or not doesn't matter: it was a nasty thing for the humans involved to do: destroy some strange little guy's life all for 12 minutes of filler. Shouldn't they be taking down the billionaire hypocrites or government crooks? Is this what the media's for now?

I know that media responsibility's been in the toilet for years, but is this kind of callousness so "normal" now that we're all starting to take it for granted?
posted by j-dub at 12:39 PM on September 30, 2005

A positive product review on CNN is not a god-given right. I feel bad for him but come on - this is what the risk of being an entrepeneur is.
posted by selfmedicating at 12:50 PM on September 30, 2005

BoringPostcards writes "He's made it clear even while behind bars that he would continue his stalking of Turner and CNN employees if released, so I can't imagine him getting parole or anything like that."

I guess that's where you can tell the real nutjobs from people merely suffering from a bit of stress.
posted by clevershark at 12:57 PM on September 30, 2005

Alright, so this guy got a truly raw deal. Not only did CNN give him a bad review, they intended on mocking his product thoroughly in an embarrassing way. If he were truly law-savvy, he might have built a case for slander, especially since the segment chased away business.

I could see him being pissed. I could see a fully rational man being so pissed, he'd send fax after fax after fax, trying desperately to get a response from CNN. It's when he threatened to kill somebody that it truly went too far.

This man snapped. He had an idea for a product that filled a demand, he was a growing success. With one ill thought out joke, CNN tore a hole in his business, and Sean Dix went mad. They didn't owe him a good review, but by broadcasting to the public, they owed him a fair and honest review.

It's a pity, really. If Dix didn't go off the deep end, it wouldn't be so hard to sympathize with him.
posted by Saydur at 1:21 PM on September 30, 2005

This whole discussion is bringing out my inner republican. He says to tell you all that the business world is not some kind of self-esteem camp.

Seriously, tho - inherent in the notion of a product review is the idea that some products will recieve bad reviews. Sean Dix invented the idea of tying plastic washers to string. It actually seems plausible to me that CNN's reviewers were in fact correct, that this was not worth $1.99.
posted by selfmedicating at 1:44 PM on September 30, 2005

Next up -- Mariah Carey threatens to kill "all" movie reviewers who mocked her film "Glitter!" Slander lawsuits to follow.
posted by ericb at 1:48 PM on September 30, 2005

Damn. I clicked through too fast and thought this thread was about Dean Six, aka Mr. Six.
posted by Eideteker at 2:30 PM on September 30, 2005

ericb writes "Next up -- Mariah Carey threatens to kill 'all' movie reviewers who mocked her film 'Glitter!' Slander lawsuits to follow."

The message-writing alone should keep her busy until 2010 or so.
posted by clevershark at 3:28 PM on September 30, 2005

Jeanie Moos is a useless hack. I feel my brain rotting whenever I see one of her pieces. Rather than a pun-filled bit on doggy costume parties or the world's largest chocolate chip cookie, it would be great if CNN could present news or something.

I would rather watch a bunch of Comcast commercials than watch Jeanie Moos.

(Of course, it looks like this guy has become a danger to others, and should probably be locked up or treated or both)
posted by i love cheese at 4:31 PM on September 30, 2005

More about this Jeanie Moos, please. Does she just write useless stories ... or does she regularly set out to ruin people ... or both?
posted by redteam at 5:47 PM on September 30, 2005

Jeanne Moos "...carved out a niche in broadcast journalism with her off-beat, thoughtful reporting on the quirkier aspects of life in the 1990s. In her reports, entitled 'Making the MOOSt of It,' which debuted in 1995, Moos has examined subjects ranging from the uncanny characteristics of automobile air fresheners to the pains of pantyhose runs."

Often her reports are "end-of-the-hour" on CNN -- often on the weekend -- and are usually quirky and pun-filled.
posted by ericb at 7:18 PM on September 30, 2005

If Sean Dix were familiar with her reporting style, he should have realized that she'd likely be doing a report that would be off-beat with some sort of humorous twist -- puns and rhymes included. It's not like he could expect a serious product review.

As said before, he should have watched the piece when it aired, videotaped it -- and then decided whether or not to distribute it to others. Instead, before air-date he called everyone he knew -- investors, potential investors and employees, who, I might add, must have realized after seeing the report that there was something to the story, since they pulled their support for his idea and product. If they truly believed in his product and his business plan, they would have stuck around. It's rather convenient for him to blame a CNN segment for causing others to lose faith in his product and its potential (or, lack thereof). I think people bailed-out for reasons other than just one television segment. If his behavior of later events is any indication, one can suspect that his business acumen, management style, etc. might have been a "bit off" for folks.
posted by ericb at 7:26 PM on September 30, 2005

The internet is, like, fucking amazing sometimes. I found his email address, and sent him mail. HE EMAILED ME BACK: "At the moment I'm so far down I have to look up to see the bottom but I'm working on it." Nothing else, though.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:27 PM on September 30, 2005

I still fail to see how this would be useful to arthritis sufferers. Is it easier to tie string to little rings twice a night than wrap said string around fingers? At the very least this invention could've had a notch or something to hold the floss (like the notch on spools of thread).
posted by artifarce at 7:49 PM on September 30, 2005

MrMoonPie writes "The internet is, like, fucking amazing sometimes. I found his email address, and sent him mail. HE EMAILED ME BACK: 'At the moment I'm so far down I have to look up to see the bottom but I'm working on it.' Nothing else, though."

That is fucking amazing! Not only that he emailed you back, but that you emailed him in the first place. Good on you!
posted by OmieWise at 7:53 PM on September 30, 2005

Just THINK of all the faxes he's going to send when he hears about this thread!
posted by squirrel at 8:14 PM on September 30, 2005

j-dub nailed it
posted by pyramid termite at 8:35 PM on September 30, 2005

From the Salon article:

"Despite the fact that he signed a death threat and sent it to Turner -- and faxed it from his home fax machine -- he believes he has a case."

I have a soft spot for the guy already. Even I would not have done THAT.

And I second what j-dub said.
posted by davy at 8:39 PM on September 30, 2005

Seriously. Mental floss.
posted by dhartung at 10:44 PM on September 30, 2005

I agree with Davy's agreement with j-dub. Totaly irrisponsible and crule on Moos part. But sadly the world is full of irrisponsible and crule people. Such a shame.
posted by delmoi at 11:38 PM on September 30, 2005

Squirrel: Thank you.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:57 AM on October 1, 2005