Sean Parker is a businessman, entrepreneur, and CEO of Parker Industries International.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
During his childhood, Sean Parker was a member of the Millennium Scouts of America, a youth organization founded by Adrian Veidt, and took an interest in Veidt Method transcendentalism. Parker first met Veidt at a jamboree in Antarctica. Upon meeting him Parker saw him as a "total charlatan", resulting in him quitting the Millennium Scouts of America. He also denounced Veidtism and began questioning everything he once knew. This epistemological crisis led him to Trutherism, which led him to question the official narratives about the Dimensional Incursion Event, which ultimately led him to conspiracy theories about Doctor Manhattan.[1]
Meeting the Nine Inch Nails[]
In 1988, Parker attended a performance of Nine Inch Nails at the Phantasy Theater in Lakewood, Ohio. Following the concert, Parker snuck backstage to meet the band and suggested that they add 'The' to the band's name.[1]
Successful Investor[]
On his 13th birthday, Parker's father gave him $1,300 and suggested that he invest in that money. Parker develops an ability to anticipate stocks and within a year he becomes a millionaire by investing in industries and companies that he predicted would take off due to post-11/2 technophobia and xenophobia. Parker invested his money in the resurgence of print media in Pulp Valley following the collapse of Silicon Valley, and even invested in "squidsploitation" markets like Extra-Dimensional Security. Parker also invested in Tromaville Studios.[1]
Establishing Parker Industries International[]
The accumulation of wealth resulted in Parker establishing Parker Industries International. In 1998, Parker purchased the land that once held the site of Cartwithen Castle. Parker Industries International salvaged dozens of samples of the irradiated soil left behind by Doctor Manhattan called Blue Sunday and sold it for a profit. At 20 years old, Parker officially became the youngest billionaire in the world.[1]
The Manhattan Project[]
Parker had a desire to become a rock musician but didn't have the innate talent for it. So Parker spent millions buying access to famous musicians and decided to use his compound, Zardoz, as a luxury resort/theme park for musicians to temporarily retreat from the public eye free of charge in exchange for music lessons. During this period, he met up again with Atticus Ross as well as Trent Reznor of the Nine Inch Nails. Reznor had boasted how broken he was due to addiction and that nothing could fix him, but Parker asserted that a psychographic survey of his Manhattan properties, most notably the Crater, had produced a new theory about Doctor Manhattan's powers: it had regenerative, healing properties. Parker makes a bet with Reznor. Parker tells him he should go to the Crater and create music, and if the process doesn't cure him, he will give him $10 million, but if it does, Reznor will give him the rights to his music. Contracts were signed; $10 million of recording equipment and six months of supplies were purchased by Parker to support the endeavor.
Reznor left the Crater transformed, resulting in Parker winning the wager. However, Reznor's time in the Crater resulted in him experiencing a spiritual crisis, and so he and the rest of the band destroyed their Crater recordings by lighting them on fire. This action resulted in Parker taking legal action against the band for breach of contract.
By 2019, Parker and the Nine Inch Nails came to an agreement. With the blessing of Parker, the band created their own copies rereleasing The Manhattan Project for a limited time only. In exchange, the band would endorse Parker's latest venture, The Facebook, a weekly catalog of classified ads and personal pages.[1]
Personality[]
Sean Parker's initial encounter with Adrian Veidt and his subsequent rejection of Veidtism sets the stage for his skeptical and questioning nature. This skepticism leads him down a path of Trutherism, where he questions the official narratives surrounding the Dimensional Incursion Event and Doctor Manhattan. This shows Parker's inclination to challenge authority and search for alternative explanations, which becomes a defining characteristic of his later endeavors.
From a young age, Parker displays a keen sense of investment and predicts the rise of industries driven by technophobia and xenophobia following the 11/2 event. This ability to anticipate trends and capitalize on societal fears allows him to amass immense wealth, leading to the establishment of Parker Industries International. His success in investing in print media, squidsploitation, and other markets showcases his shrewd business acumen and opportunistic nature.
Parker's aspiration to become a rock musician reveals his desire for creative expression and his fascination with the world of music. However, lacking the talent to succeed on his own, he resorts to using his wealth to buy access to famous musicians. This highlights his resourcefulness and willingness to use his financial power to shape his own experiences and fulfill his ambitions, despite having no discernable creative talent himself.
The wager he makes with Trent Reznor regarding the Crater and Doctor Manhattan's supposed healing properties showcases Parker's opportunistic nature, as he capitalizes on Reznor's vulnerability to win the bet.
Trivia[]
- In real life, Sean Parker was the co-founder of Napster and founding president of Facebook. He is highly respected as a web visionary and tech expert.
- Sean Parker's suggestion of adding “The” to the Nine Inch Nails' name, is a reference and ironic echo to the 2010 film The Social Network, a film both Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor scored.
- Parker's suggestion of adding "The" to the Nine Inch Nails' name also acts as a clever reversal of the concept. Instead of simplifying the name, Parker suggests the addition of "The," emphasizing a deliberate nod to The Social Network and playfully subverting the idea. This serves as a self-aware reference within the context of the Watchmen universe, acknowledging the real-world connection between Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor, and the film they scored, while adding a layer of irony to Parker's involvement in the name change.
- Sean Parker's suggestion of adding “The” to the Nine Inch Nails' name, is a reference and ironic echo to the 2010 film The Social Network, a film both Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor scored.
- Sean Parker embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, as well as the cultural shifts and tensions of the post-11/2 world. His journey from a disillusioned youth to a billionaire businessman reflects the themes of conspiracy, manipulation, and the pursuit of power that permeate the show. His journey also reflects the broader themes of the show, exploring the consequences of unchecked ambition and the manipulation of cultural and technological shifts in a post-11/2 world.
