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Guillermo Rodriguez has become an unexpected audience favorite on the current season of Dancing With the Stars, continuing in the competition despite low judges’ scores. Psychology Today argues that his appeal may reflect both his underdog persona and “basking in reflected glory,” a psychology concept describing how fans share in the positive feelings of someone else’s success.
Guillermo Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel sidekick competing with professional dancer Witney Carson on Dancing With the Stars, has become an unexpected audience favorite, and a Psychology Today analysis says fans’ support may reflect both his underdog appeal and a psychological effect known as basking in reflected glory. Rodriguez has continued in the competition despite a low score from the judges for a recent samba, as audience voting has helped keep the pair on the show.
Rodriguez’s popularity grew beyond the show after Deadline ran a headline saying he was “finally getting his moment.” Psychology Today’s analysis points to qualities fans have associated with him since his move from a quirky security guard to an onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s program: low pretension, humor and apparent authenticity. His willingness to acknowledge that dancing is not his strength may also make him appealing to viewers.
In one performance, Rodriguez opened his shirt to reveal the words “Dancing 4 The People.” The analysis interpreted the gesture as a nod to the fans’ enthusiasm rather than a claim about his technical ability. It also described his progress from week to week as an underdog story for viewers who may find it encouraging to see someone continue despite an apparent disadvantage.
Psychology Today connects that response to BIRG, short for “basking in reflected glory.” Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues used the term in a 1976 study of football fans. The idea is that people can feel some of the positive emotion associated with a person or group’s success, even when they did not cause it. The analysis says identifying with a successful favorite can also help fans present a positive image of themselves.
Culture · Competition · Psychology
Reflected Glory and the Guillermo Rodriguez Phenomenon
Why an unlikely “Dancing With the Stars” contender can win over viewers—even when the judges’ score tells a different story.
01 / The appeal
Why fans rally around Rodriguez
The analysis suggests several reasons viewers may be invested in Guillermo Rodriguez’s run. These are possible explanations, not proof of what motivated any individual vote.
Progress against the odds
His week-to-week effort can read as an encouraging underdog story, especially when technical scores appear to put him at a disadvantage.
A persona viewers know
His years alongside Jimmy Kimmel gave audiences a point of familiarity before he stepped onto the dance floor.
Humor without pretense
Psychology Today points to his humor, apparent authenticity, and willingness to acknowledge that dancing is not his strength.
02 / Two kinds of feedback
A score is not a vote
The samba score and the competition outcome capture different signals. The account provides a judges’ score, but no vote totals or full contestant comparison.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
Technical assessment meets audience attachment
Despite the low score, audience voting helped the pair return for another episode. That gap shows the judges’ assessment and the outcome did not align in this instance. It does not explain why viewers voted or establish how large the gap was.
03 / The psychology lens
From shared success to fan identity
Basking in reflected glory, or BIRG, describes the positive feeling people may get from associating themselves with someone else’s success. The concept comes from studies of sports fans.
Choose a favorite
A viewer identifies with a contestant or group.
Follow the progress
The favorite’s effort and wins become emotionally meaningful.
Share the glow
Some positive feeling may rub off through association.
Show the connection
That identification can support a positive image of oneself.
BIRG: basking in reflected glory
Fans may feel connected to a favored person’s success, even though they did not cause it.
CORFing: cutting off reflected failure
After a group setback, people may emphasize distance from a group they previously supported. A 1986 study examined this related behavior.
04 / Evidence boundaries
What the voting cannot show
The available account applies research concepts to this season’s audience. The underlying studies focused on sports and group identity, not Rodriguez’s voters.
Rodriguez’s vote count, other contestants’ totals, and the relative weight of judges’ scores versus audience votes.
That BIRG caused people to vote for him, or that his support is unusually large by a measurable standard.
Some viewers reportedly called the show rigged; the account provides no evidence substantiating that allegation.
His eventual finish, next scores, and whether audience support will continue remain unknown.
Quick answers
What to know
Why has Rodriguez become popular?
The analysis points to his underdog story, familiar television persona, and perceived authenticity. It does not establish one shared reason among voters.
What does BIRG mean?
“Basking in reflected glory”: feeling some positive emotion through association with another person’s or group’s success.
Was the samba score high?
No. Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges, while audience voting helped them return.
Has rigging been proven?
No evidence of rigging is provided in the account. Viewer accusations are described but not substantiated.
Will he win the Mirrorball?
That remains unknown. The account gives no final result or vote totals.
What happens next?
The next performances and votes will show whether support continues; judges’ scores remain a separate measure.
Why Fans Rally Around Rodriguez
The analysis offers one explanation for why audience support may not track the judges’ scores. In the recent samba cited by Psychology Today, Rodriguez and Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges, yet fan votes were sufficient for them to return for another episode. The figures show a gap between the judges’ assessment of that dance and the support reflected in the outcome; they do not, by themselves, establish why viewers voted.
If BIRG is part of the explanation, cheering for Rodriguez may let viewers share emotionally in his progress. The same analysis notes that fans may be drawn to his perceived sincerity and underdog status, not just the fact that he is still competing. The concept is an interpretive framework, not evidence that every supporter is motivated by the same psychological process.
That distinction matters in a competition where judges’ scores and audience votes can point in different directions. Rodriguez’s run has prompted discussion about the balance between technical performance and viewer attachment. The provided account does not give vote totals or a complete comparison with other contestants, so it cannot show the size of the voting gap or establish that Rodriguez’s support is unusual by a measurable standard.
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From Sidekick to Dance Contestant
Rodriguez already had a public profile before joining the competition through his work alongside Jimmy Kimmel. Psychology Today argues that this familiarity may have helped audiences connect with him, while his on-show presentation reinforced an image of someone who does not take himself too seriously. The analysis also notes that viewers praised what they saw as his lack of pretense in comments on Deadline’s coverage.
The BIRG concept was introduced in a 1976 paper by Cialdini and co-authors, based on three field studies involving football. A later study by C. R. Snyder, Mary Lassegard and Charles E. Ford, published in 1986, examined how people distance themselves after group failure. That related behavior is commonly described as “cutting off reflected failure,” or CORFing: people may emphasize separation from a group when it loses, even if they had previously identified with its success.
Psychology Today applies both ideas to fan behavior around Rodriguez, but the underlying studies concerned group identification and sports, not this season’s Dancing With the Stars audience. The connection to the current show is an application of the concepts, rather than a finding from a study of Rodriguez’s voters.
What the Voting Cannot Show
The available account does not state how many votes Rodriguez received, how his total compared with other contestants, or how much the judges’ scores and viewer votes each contributed to the outcome. It also does not establish that BIRG caused people to vote for him; the concept is offered as one possible explanation alongside his existing profile and perceived authenticity.
Some viewers have accused the show of being rigged, according to the Psychology Today account, while others have posted that Rodriguez should leave the competition. No evidence substantiating the rigging allegation is provided. The show’s voting rules, any response to those claims and the exact distribution of fan support are not detailed in the material.
Rodriguez’s Next Competition Test
Rodriguez and Carson are set to return for another episode, according to the account, but their eventual finish is not yet known. The next performances and audience vote will indicate whether their support continues, while the judges’ scores will offer a separate measure of how the dances are received by the panel.
The analysis also points to a risk in strong fan identification: the same emotional investment that makes a favorite’s success feel rewarding can make setbacks feel personal. It describes CORFing as one way fans may distance themselves from a favorite after failure. Whether that pattern appears among Rodriguez’s supporters, or whether his run reaches the final, remains to be seen.
Key Questions
Why has Guillermo Rodriguez become popular on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his underdog story, familiar television persona and perceived authenticity. The analysis also suggests that some fans may enjoy identifying with his success, but it does not establish a single reason shared by all voters.
What does BIRG mean?
BIRG means “basking in reflected glory.” The term describes the positive feeling people may get from associating themselves with someone else’s success, such as a winning team or a favored contestant.
Did Rodriguez receive a high score for his samba?
No. The account says Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges for the samba discussed. Audience voting nevertheless helped them return to the competition.
Has the show been proven to be rigged?
No evidence of rigging is provided. The account describes viewer accusations, but does not substantiate them or report a finding that the competition was manipulated.
Will Rodriguez win the mirror ball?
That remains unknown. He is expected to return for another episode, but the account gives no final result or vote totals.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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