BY KYLEE MESSNER With blogs like Sorry-mom.com and Thisiswhyyourefat.com, it’s become clear to me that people can and will blog about anything, and many will read, enjoy, and come back for more. When I came across Will They Grow, I figured it was just another shameless self-absorbed blogger seeking attention. Martina, the 26-year-old NYC resident behind WillTheyGrow, assured me otherwise. For those unfamiliar with Martina’s blog, it is a daily documentation of the effects of birth control on her breast size, complete with photos. It’s not necessarily supposed to make sense to viewers, she assures me, and coming across it for the first time last week, I sure as hell didn’t get why someone would want to have this content available for the thousands of horny men on the Internet who might come across it. After drilling her with a couple of honest questions, Martina schooled me on why she started the blog, the success she’s had, why she’s comfortable letting it all hang out on the Internet.
PHAWKER: Why did you decide to start this blog?
MARTINA: I have been on and off of birth control pills for 10 years. I have tried lots of different pill brands, and also the birth control patch, and each one had a different effect on my body and my mood. Specifically, each one affected my breasts differently — there was a time where I grew almost 2 cup sizes after starting birth control, and there was also a time when my breasts didn’t grow at all. So, when I began to take birth control again this May, I wanted to see how the hormones would affect me. I decided to take a quick photo every morning at the same time that I took my pill so I could check my growth. A blog format just seemed like the best option because it’s an easy way to archive photos by date and look back at them quickly.
PHAWKER: When did you begin taking birth control? What was the original purpose for it?
MARTINA: I began taking birth control on the first day of the blog, May 28th. The reason for it was pretty normal: to regulate my period and have an extra back-up for safety. The side effect of breast growth is just an added bonus.
PHAWKER: Do your friends and family know about your blog? Co-workers? (If you work, what do you do?)
MARTINA: Why would I tell my family? That’s silly! There’s no reason for my family to see my boobs. But yes, all my friends know about it. I work in web development, so it’s not too weird to show my co-workers things like this. They all have many of their own weird web projects that are way crazier than my humble blog.
PHAWKER: How do you feel about posting pictures of your breast on the Internet? Aren’t you afraid someone will discover it’s you?
MARTINA: I really don’t think it’s a big deal, especially since there is no sexual context surrounding them. The photos are not meant to be pornographic, and really they’re not even sexy: they’re grainy webcam photos with bad lighting and my pajama shirt lifted up. They’re just documentation. Every woman has breasts! The taboo and fear surrounding women’s bodies is sad and destructive. A non-sexual photo of a woman’s chest should not automatically equate to something shameful. Somehow we’ve created a world where a naked woman is scary and embarrassing and disgusting, which only serves to further degrade women and create more space for sexual violence. I don’t need to advertise that these photos are of me because the project has nothing to do with me or who I am. But I’m also not really hiding my identity. If someone “discovers” that it’s me, what would be the problem? “OH MY GOD, Martina has breasts! Sorry, you can’t work for me/ date me/ shop at my grocery store/ be my friend anymore.” I’m not worried about it.
PHAWKER: What do you hope to accomplish by making this blog? Why not just take the pills, and see if it works without the use of the Internet?
MARTINA: I live on the Internet! It is a major tool in my life, both the social aspect and my work. It’s very natural for me to do everything online. I mean, what’s the point of doing an experiment if no one else knows about it? Why do you publish your stories online instead of just writing them and putting them in a shoebox?
PHAWKER: How did you begin spreading the word about your blog?
MARTINA: I actually didn’t spread the word, that just happened naturally. I showed one friend, and then the next day I was doing an interview for TheFrisky.com. I guess you could say that it was “natural growth”… har har.
PHAWKER: Some people think nudity on the Internet should be banned. How do you feel about it?
MARTINA: I think you’re confusing nudity with pornography. There is a HUGE difference. Nudity has been a major subject in art since the beginning of time, and I don’t think there is any denying the beauty of the naked form. Aside from that, nudity is the most natural state in which humans can reside- which is ironic if you think of nudity on The Internet, the most unnatural reality simulating community that humans have ever fabricated. The most basic human state collides with the virtual world and it’s chaos! It’s not “nudity” that is being pushed to be banned, it’s pornographic images, which usually also contain nudity. I’m not a big supporter of pornography, but I can see why it has it’s place in society. I definitely don’t consider Will They Grow to be pornography, as it’s not meant to arouse. This is Science, dammit!
PHAWKER: Lastly, what results have you seen so far from taking the pills, if any? Any long-term goals?
MARTINA: There has been no visible growth as of yet. Actually, the most interesting thing that has come from this project has been the feedback! I have only had very positive feedback, and most people seem to be sending the message “Love yourself for who you are.” So even if they don’t grow, it has been a good experience.
You can view Martina’s blog at HERE