The Daily Signal - Mary Millben on What It’s Like Being a Conservative in the Entertainment Industry

Episode Date: October 21, 2019

Working in politics is not the usual springboard into a singing career, but this was the unorthodox path of Christian conservative Mary Millben. In today’s episode, Millben sits down with The Daily Signal to discuss her unique career path, and what it’s like to be a conservative in the entertainment industry. Millben also talks about her songs feature in the film “The Meanest Man in Texas,” and how her faith has shaped her journey.  Follow Mary Millben on Twitter @MaryMillben Also on today's episode: Mark Zuckerberg made some comments you might not expect to hear from Facebook’s CEO. His unequivocal embrace of free speech was welcome news for conservatives. In case you missed it, we play a portion of his speech. We also read your letters to the editor. You can leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. And we share a good news story about a surprising turn of events when a college student asked for beer money at ESPN’s College Football Game Day. The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. All of our podcasts can be found at dailysignal.com/podcasts. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is The Daily Signal podcast for Monday, October 21st. I'm Robert Blewey. And I'm Virginia Allen. Today we share an interview with Mary Milbin, singer, actress, and good friend of The Daily Signal. Last week, Mark Zuckerberg made some comments you might not expect to hear from Facebook CEO. His unequivocal embrace of free speech was welcome news for conservatives. In case you missed it, we'll play a portion of his speech. And we'll wrap up today's show with your letters to the editor and a good news story about a surprising

turn of events when a college student asked for beer money at ESPN's college football game day. Before we get to today's show, Virginia and I want to tell you about one of our favorite morning newsletters. It's called the morning bell. And each weekday, the daily signal delivers the top news and commentary directly to your inbox for free. You'll be able to read about the policy debate shaping the agenda, analysis from Heritage Foundation experts, and commentary from leading conservatives like Ben Shapiro, Michelle Malkin, and Dennis Prager. It's easy to sign up. Just visit dailysignal.com and click on the connect button in the top right corner of the page. We'll start sending you the morning bell tomorrow. Now stay tuned for

today's show coming up next. I am joined on the Daily Signal podcast by Mary Milven, actress, singer, and friend of the Daily Signal. That's right. Friend is the most important. Yes, absolutely. Mary, you had a great interview with my colleague, Rob Bluey, just a few months ago, and it's such a pleasure to have you back. Oh, it's great to see you and giving big hugs to Rob and all the team. I tell you, the Dady Signal absolutely as a friend, and I'm grateful for the relationship that we have. Absolutely. Well, you truly are an incredible singer and have had a number of amazing performances. You have performed for three consecutive presidents, including performing the next.

national anthem at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Now, when did you first know that you wanted to pursue a career in singing? You know, that's a great question. And let me say again, thank you to the Daily Signal and to the Heritage Foundation. And of course, I'm a big fan. And Ms. K. Cole James is a dear mentor. So I definitely want to say that up front. You know, I have to recall, you know, before I got into a career in entertainment, I'm a presidential appointee for President Bush. So I was in a pretty fast track politically working for the Bush White House. But honestly, it was actually at the Bush White House where I caught the artistic bug. You know, my parents are retired ministers, so we grew up singing in church and doing a lot of

the arts as kids. But I never thought that I would pursue it professionally. But it was actually during my days in the Bush White House that I got a great opportunity from some friends who worked in the First Lady's office and a First Lady Laura Bush, that is, in the visitor center at the White House who needed a singer for some Christmas parties and Christmas tours during the holiday season. And long and the short, I went and sang during one of those Christmas tours and started to become a regular gig in my last several months of working at the White House, working for the Bush White House. And so it was really there where, and I think President Bush and former First Lady Lord Bush for their kindness and for seeing an opportunity where I could use some other gifts.

in the context of where I was and to the bosses that I had during the Bush White House, who were big lover of the arts who let me go off and venture and do that. And so it was a culmination of just encouragement during that time and then those opportunities. And so when I was singing for the Christmas tours and the Christmas parties, you know, a lot of people come through the White House. And at that time, a lot of patrons and folks who were involved in the artistic community, the theaters here in Washington, D.C. And that's really how it started.

I met some great people at that time who then presented some opportunities after we left the Bush White House. And in fact, it was about, I want to say, three or four weeks after the administration chains from President Obama, and former First Lady Michelle Obama came in. I started rehearsals for a show at Arena Stage.

And got my equity card, and then, you know, theater took off and music took off. And so I say all that, you know, the long answer to your question for those who are listening because you never know how God will shape your path. The world will tell you that there are traditional routes

or there were certain ways you're going to get to this career, certain ways you're going to get here. But God, he works in mysterious ways. And as an encouragement to those listening, don't underestimate an unorthodox path, you know? Don't underestimate a non-traditional route to whatever your dream is, or whatever God is calling you to do.

Trust the timing and trust the route and embrace whatever may be unorthodox because it could be a life-changing experience and that's what it was for me. I love your story because you're right, it is so unorthodox. You don't usually think, well, my career in politics will obviously lead to my career as a singer.

That's right. Well, you know, I always joke, you know, the White House in Washington, D.C., it's like a, you know, a revolving Broadway show. It changes every four years or depending on, you know, how many years. But the intersections of politics and entertainment are certainly, it certainly happens often. And so it certainly working in politics was a great springboard to going into entertainment, particularly with a lot of the skills and things that I learned as a young staffer,

working as a presidential appointee. But even more so, I think that experience really taught me what we just talked about, that is embracing an unorthodox path and just trusting God and how he shapes us and moves us. And certainly, he works a mysterious place. He does indeed. Now, do you have a favorite performance that you look back on? Wow. You know, I tell you, I say this with humility.

I have had some tremendous experiences that I don't feel qualified for or don't have a resume for, so I count it to the good Lord. But, you know, I tell you, you know, one memory that really sticks out to me, aside from singing for President Trump's inaugural celebration, that really was an incredible moment, not only because it was quite an exciting election. So it was just an amazing time to be in D.C. when that happened. But I would say outside of that, singing at the Super Bowl,

show with Bruce Springsteen. I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. I wish we agreed more in politics, but that's okay. It's good. As Ellen said, you know, he should be kind and have friends from all shapes and sizes, so hats off to Ellen for that and her friendship with President Bush. But I'm a big Springsteen fan and got the great opportunity with some other folks to sing back up for him at the Super Bowl halftime show. It was back in 2009, I believe. And I love the NFL. I love the NFL. I'm a big football fan and certainly that moment to be on stage, you know, looking at it, we were in Tampa that year and seeing all those people and the energy on stage

with a legend like Bruce Springsteen. And it was a really incredible moment. And it was also a defining moment. In fact, at that time, I was still working in the government. And so I hadn't really declared going into a profession in the arts, but that was a very meaningful moment where I thought, wow, you know, to get up every day and do what Bruce is doing every day and the joy and the energy and the excitement of music, seeing a whole stadium, you know, reacting to that. I was really moved. So I would say that was a really incredible moment. It's one, a lot of people who think, you know, because I do sing a lot politically and have done theater in New York and those type of things that those would be. And they are. But I say, singing in the Super Bowl is, you know, It was a great ride.

It's a great ride. That is a pretty incredible experience, I'm sure. And I have had the privilege of hearing you sing live. Wow, it is amazing. And we do want to allow our listeners to just hear a little bit of your incredible voice. So we're going to play a clip. Oh, say, can you see under what's over, stripes, and bright stars fight. You recently were a part of a feature film called The Meanest Man in Texas.

Can you share a little bit about your role in that movie? And what was that experience like being on set? Well, in fact, I actually was never on set for the film. My first single that I recorded is the closing song in the film. First of all, I hope everyone gets a chance to see it. It's right now on Amazon Prime. And so you can view it there. And we're really excited because,

Grace will lead me home, again, which is the closing song of the film, is now Oscar-eligible, Academy Award eligible. So we're very excited about that and the journey that it's taken to get here. It's a beautiful song recorded with 2018 Hall of Fame, Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Dwarf, and wonderful Grammy Award-winning, multiple award-winning songwriter Mary Beth Derry. And it was just an incredible experience to work with them in California and record this song, which is all about grace. You know, so many twist and turns of life,

we can all look back and say if it was not for God's grace, the element of grace that probably saved a lot of us and certainly helped a lot of us in all different types of times. So being a part of this film in that regard and contributing music in my first film, my first single, you know, a lot of first in this regard.

I'm really proud of the project. I'm really proud of this film and the relationship that it has to our song. And I just hope and pray that this song will continue to live on as we approach the award season for film and television, and we're crossing our fingers that it gets some traction and does well. And, you know, I think it's a really important time right now in the country where artists and music can really be a game changer.

The same for film and television. I think just the arts in general is a, is a great arena to help impact and bring change. And, you know, with the country being so divided, I think that this presents a great opportunity for films and television and music to marry and do good. And so I'm really happy to be a part of the film and hope everyone can see it and the song is out there too.

And we're really excited. And I think The Daily Signal, you all have been a great partner in elevating the film and the song and being a part of our journey. and so thank you for that as well. Well, congratulations to you. That's quite the accomplishment and so exciting. Oh, God, we're to govy the glory.

We're really, really happy. And you are so open about your conservative views. What is that like being in the industry that you work in and being so vocal about being a conservative? It's not a cakewalk, my love. It's tough to be a conservative, I think, period. But, you know, I will give some credit to, certainly to President Trump

and his encouragement to embrace your convictions and embrace who you are. Coming from a life and entertainment and business before coming into the presidency, I think those roles have impacted how we can all be more vocal about our truths, about our convictions and who we are.

And so I will certainly credit and thank the president for that encouraging And while it's tough, you know, I have felt a bit more liberated, I think, as an artist to not be afraid to share my conservative values. It's who I am. It's part of what I do. And I don't feel anyone, conservative or liberal. You know, whatever side you happen to be on, I think it's important that you stay true to who you are, say true to your convictions, and allow that to be at the forefront of everything you do. And so I'm a proud conservative. I'm a proud conservative. I'll say they. I'm a proud conservative. And I'm never afraid to share those convictions in what I do every day. So a good friend, Gary Sinise, who I know you all are certainly acquainted with, he says a statement a lot. In fact, in his new book called Grateful American, which is such a great, great book, go get it, go get it. But Gary always says, you know, I know where my freedom comes from, you know, and I know where my blessings come from. And for me,

that statement is rooted in my conservative values. I know where my freedom comes from. I know where my blessings come from. I know how important my faith is to who I am and what I do. And so I feel blessed, and I'm very grateful that I've been put in spaces in a season of life and in my career where I'm able to be vocal about being a conservative. And for anyone listening, who struggles with this, who is a conservative,

but maybe they're a closet conservative, and they don't know how to express their viewpoints and beliefs. What advice would you give to them? Be true to who you are, you know? I know there's the temptation to be everything to everyone, you know, and so that can sometimes bring upon fears to be vocal about who you are. But I think that there's a way to do that and still, have civility to still be kind, to still be amongst differing opinions. I think the recent example

we saw with Ellen and President Bush was a good example that those are two people on very different sides of the aisle and certainly life and philosophy, but they're great friends. And, you know, Ellen said, look, it's a beautiful thing that I can be friends with someone. We don't think the same way policy or may have different, you know, approaches to life, but we can still be kind and still. still love each other and still enjoy each other. And so I think the stronger you are in your convictions, the easier it is to do that. I have many friends on the other side of the aisle and enjoy spending time with them and hearing their perspectives and not afraid to share mine, you know.

But I think the more you are true to who you are, the easier it is for you to be respectful and understanding and maybe in some ways tolerant of people and views that don't particularly align me through her. So absolutely. Anybody listening that is a closet conservative, come out, honey. Join the, get on the train. Join the parade, I would say,

and be true to yourself. Thank you for sharing that, Mary. I appreciate that. So what is the message that you hope really to shine through your music? As you're singing, what is that maybe main takeaway that you're hoping

your listeners will walk away with? I pray that every time I'm given an opportunity to be on a platform to sing, share music in any way as through a film or any other kind of avenue, is that God's power is evident. You know, the greatest source that you can plug into is the power of God. I don't mean to, I'm a preacher's kid, so it's hard for me to not invoke. You can preach, it's okay. You know, it's hard for me to not invoke the Lord when I get asked questions like that.

But I will tell you, you know, God's power is the greatest force. And when you humble yourself before God and you tap into that source, you can go anywhere. You can do anything, honestly. And so when I get on a stage, in fact, right before I get on to sing, I don't care where I am, I don't care who I'm singing for, I don't care what I'm doing. I just take a moment backstage and I have a word of prayer. And I ask God come into this space, come on this stage, you know, let your power be seen. Let it not be me, let it be you. And that is my prayer every time I sing, no matter what the environment is, religious or non-religious or political or non-political,

I pray that God's power is seen. Because if his power is present, then one, I'm going to have a great performance. But two, that means that people will walk away hopefully changed. I want people to walk away always inspired after there's an opportunity to perform. I want people to walk away saying, you know, whatever she's got, I want. And what that is is the power of God. And so that's the, you know, that's the biggest thing. I really hope and pray.

And that it's never, and that should always be, I think, all of our prayers is that something higher, something more divine is seen when we exercise our gifts. Because if we step out of the way and allow that divine power to come in, Whatever your profession is, singer, doctor, lawyer, teacher, you know, stay-at-home mom or dad, whatever, you know, your profession is, if you can tap into that divinity. Yeah. You change the world, my friend. It's powerful. Thank you, Mary.

So how can our listeners follow your work? Well, I know there are social media platforms, and I'll be honest, you know, I'm more of a private person, so I'm not. I'm not usually on those platforms. There are usually other people, forgive me, I'll be transparent that are replying on my behalf. But there are social media platforms across all of the platforms out there. I do have a newsletter that goes out to now a fan base. I think over the years we've accumulated about 30 to 40,000 people on a fan base that I do have a more direct outlet to speak to fans and share. my heart and share things a bit more immediate than some of the social media platforms.

And so anybody can join that. M. Milbin at gmail.com. You can email that and add your email to the listserv and be a part of that community. It's a great way that I can directly speak to fans because I enjoy doing that. And, you know, I pretty much am everywhere, I tell you these days. You know, so follow the social media, and if you're in a city where I am, I love meeting new people, and I certainly love speaking to folks after performances. You know, the personal touch is really important to me.

It's not sometimes what we can always do in entertainment, but I certainly enjoyed that when I had the strength and energy to do it after performing. So, yeah, please, you know, if you see them in a city, reach out, you know, and I'd love to see you, and certainly appreciate all. all the support. That's great. And I'll be sure to put those social media handles in our show notes for our listeners. I think my sister's going to yell that I just gave out for a new email. But, you know, it's Gmail. Come on. We all have Gmail. Oh, Mary, we really appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Thank you. I tell you.

Thanks so much, Virginia, for having me and God's blessings to the Daily Signal. God's continued blessings to the Heritage Foundation and to FRC at this wonderful summit where we are. And I thank Rob and all the team for the kindness. Thank you all. Do conversations about the Supreme Court leave you scratching your head? If you want to understand what's happening at the court, subscribe to SCOTUS 101, a Heritage Foundation podcast, breaking down the cases, personalities, and gossip at the Supreme Court. Facebook is a frequent target of conservative ire for its ever-changing algorithm and so-called hate speech policies. Even though conservatives have flourished on social media, they are convinced that Facebook has an anti-conservative bias. CEO Mark Zuckerberg tackled the topic at a Georgetown University speech last week.

We want to share a brief clip of his remarks with you today. You can read more, watch the full clip, and see Rob's reaction on Fox News by visiting dailysignal.com. Let's play the clip. Of course, without the internet, they certainly wouldn't have reached so many people. So with Facebook today, more than 2 billion people now have a greater opportunity to express themselves and to help others. Now, while it's easy to focus on the big social movements, I think it's important to remember that most progress happens in our individual lives.

It's the Air Force moms who start a Facebook group so that their children and other service members who can't come home for the holidays have a place to go. It's the church group that comes together after the hurricane to provide food and to volunteer to help rebuild. It's the small business on the corner that now has access to the same sophisticated tools that only the big guys used to have access to,

so now they can get their voice out to, reach customers, create more jobs in their town, and become a social hub in their community. Progress and social cohesion come from billions of stories like this happening all around the world. people having the power to express themselves at scale is a new kind of force in the world. It is a fifth estate

alongside the other power structures in our society. And people no longer have to rely on traditional gatekeepers in politics or media to make their voices heard, and that has important consequences. And I understand the concerns that people have about how tech platforms have centralized power. But I actually believe that the much big The bigger story is how much these platforms have decentralized power by putting it directly into people's hands.

It's part of this amazing expansion of voice that we've experienced through law and culture and now technology as well. So giving people a voice and broader inclusion go hand in hand. And the trend has certainly been towards us getting much greater voice over time. But there's also an important counter trend, which is that in times of social tension, our impulse is often to pull back on free expression. Because we want the progress that comes from free expression, but we don't want the tension. We saw this when Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous letter from a Birmingham jail

where he was unconstitutionally jailed for protesting peacefully. And we saw this in the effort to shut down campus protests during the Vietnam War. We saw this way back when America was deeply polarized about its role in World War I, and the Supreme Court ruled at the time that the socialist leader Eugene Debs could be imprisoned for making an anti-war speech. In the end, all of these decisions were wrong. Pulling back on free expression wasn't the answer, and in fact, it often ends up hurting the minority views that we seek to protect. Now, from where we are today, it seems obvious that, of course, protests for civil rights or making a speech against a war should be allowed, Yet this desire to suppress this expression was filled deeply by a lot of society at the time.

And today, we are in another moment of social tension. We face real issues that are going to take a long time to work through. Massive economic transitions from globalization and technology. Fallout that remains from the 2008 financial crisis. Very polarized reactions to social issues and greater migration, here, but across the EU and around the world. And many of our issues flow downstream from these changes. And in the face of these tensions, once again,

a popular impulse is to pull back on free expression. We're at another crossroads. We can either continue to stand for free expression, understanding its messiness, but believing that the long journey towards greater progress requires confronting ideas that challenge us. or we can decide that the cost is simply too great. And I'm here today because I believe that we must continue to stand for free expression.

Tired of high taxes, fewer health care choices, and bigger government, become a part of the Heritage Foundation. We're fighting the rising tide of homegrown socialism while developing conservative solutions that make families more free and more prosperous. Find out more at heritage.org. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor. Each Monday we feature our favorites on this show and in our Morning Bell email newsletter. Virginia, who's up first? In response to Lee Edwards article, these three countries tried socialism, here's what happened. Chanel writes, excellent informative article.

I would compare socialism to addiction. Drugs are great at the beginning, as may be socialism. It might make one feel wonderful, ambitious, social, generous, but in the end, it will completely ruin you. And also in response to Lee Edwards' other articles, San Francisco no longer feels like it's in America. Max writes, this and much of New York City are microcosms of the future United States if it is turned over to the progressive socialists who claim they will bring peace and tranquility to all, eliminating poverty.

They refuse to acknowledge that their political agenda has never been successfully implemented in any major modern country for any sustained period of time. They refuse to acknowledge that the Constitutional Republic of the United States, with its free enterprise economic system and respect for the rule of law, has produced the most free and prosperous society and history. They, still in 2019, claim its racist, sexist, and a bigoted nation, ignoring the fact that minorities from around the world, including blacks and women, have desperately sought to immigrate here for over a century

and continue to do so on an unprecedented scale. Your letter could be featured on next week's show. Send us an email at Letters at dailysignal.com or leave a voicemail message at 202-608-6205. It's Monday and that means we have a good news story to start your week off right. Virginia, over to you. Thank you, Rob. Well, here at the Daily Signal, we've been following the story of Carson King, an Iowa college student who held a sign up at ESPN's College Game Day that read Bush Light Supply Needs Replenish.

Venmo and then it listed his Venmo information underneath. King says that he really didn't expect anyone to actually Venmo him, but they did. And he received so much money that he decided to donate all of it to the Children's Hospital that is located right next to the stadium. He recently joined Fox News to discuss how it all happened. And that includes, tell us where those donations came from. So originally they came in from just people watching College Game Day. We shared some social media posts with my intentions, which were to,

donate everything but the cost to cover one case of Bush light to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. People caught wind of that. They started donating. Then Bush and Venmo caught wind of it. They're going to match whatever contributions we make. That's great. Wow. Walk us through. Venmo and Anheiser Bush did match the donations, though Bush cut ties with King due to an offensive tweet King posted eight years ago when he was just 16. But despite the bumps in the road, King's campaign for the Children's Hospital has been nothing short of a modern day social media miracle. On October 11th, King presented the hospital with a check for over $3 million,

over $3 million, all from one paperboard sign asking for beer money. And the generosity is still flowing in. Earlier this month, the college student was approached by the National Bobblehead, Hall of Fame, and Museum. They would like to start making a Carson King Bobblehead, King has declined to receive any of the proceeds from the bobbleheads. So $5 of everyone sold will go to the Children's Hospital. Wow.

Way to go, Carson. I just love the generosity that is displayed in this entire process. It's truly incredible. It certainly is, Virginia. Thanks for bringing us that story today. Sure thing. We're going to leave it there for today. The Daily Signal podcast comes to you from the Robert H. Bruce Radio Studio at the Heritage Foundation.

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Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. It is executive produced by Rob Blewey and Virginia Allen, sound design by Lauren Evans, Belia Rampersad, and Mark Geinie. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.