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Guillermo Rodriguez’s unexpected success on Dancing With the Stars has attracted support that Psychology Today says may be partly explained by “basking in reflected glory,” or BIRG. The article also points to his existing fan base, perceived authenticity and underdog appeal, while stressing that fan psychology is an interpretation rather than proof of why each viewer votes.
Guillermo Rodriguez has become an unexpected audience favorite on the current season of Dancing With the Stars, and a Psychology Today analysis says the support may reflect more than his dancing: viewers could be responding to his underdog story and experiencing “basking in reflected glory,” or BIRG, through his success. The explanation offers a way to understand the enthusiasm around the Jimmy Kimmel sidekick, but does not establish what motivates individual voters.
Rodriguez is competing with professional partner Witney Carson. In the episode discussed by Psychology Today, the pair’s samba received 13 out of 30 from the judges, yet they received enough audience votes to remain in the competition. The article does not provide vote totals or a comparison with other contestants, so the scale of that support cannot be measured from the information available.
The analysis says Rodriguez already had a following from his work as a security guard who became an onstage sidekick for Jimmy Kimmel. It describes viewers as responding to his lack of pretension, willingness to be himself and openness about not being a strong dancer. After one performance, Rodriguez opened his shirt to show the words “Dancing 4 The People,” a gesture the article interprets as acknowledging that audience enthusiasm, rather than dance technique, was carrying him.
Psychology Today connects this support to BIRG, a concept associated with social psychologist Robert Cialdini. The idea is that people can feel a reflected sense of achievement when someone they support succeeds. The article also notes a contrasting response: viewers may distance themselves from a favorite after a loss, a behavior researchers have called “cutting off reflected failure,” or CORFing. Both concepts offer possible explanations for fan behavior, not a direct account of why any particular person voted.
Fan psychology · Dancing With the Stars
5 Ways Reflected Glory Helps Explain the Guillermo Rodriguez Phenomenon
Guillermo Rodriguez’s unexpected run has drawn attention to the bond between a contestant and the people rooting for him. Psychology Today offers “basking in reflected glory” as one possible lens, alongside his existing fans, perceived authenticity and underdog appeal.
Why fans may rally around Guillermo
The analysis describes several overlapping reasons for the response. They offer context, not a measured breakdown of audience motives.
Reflected pride
Supporters may feel a reflected sense of achievement when someone they back succeeds, connecting their own image to a favored contestant.
An existing fan base
Rodriguez’s path from security guard to Jimmy Kimmel’s onstage sidekick gave him an audience before he joined the dance competition.
Authenticity
The article points to his lack of pretension, willingness to be himself and openness about not being a strong dancer.
Underdog appeal
Fans may enjoy backing a contestant who seems unlikely to succeed by conventional measures of dance technique.
Participation
His survival after a modest judges’ score highlights how audience voting can reward entertainment and connection as well as technical skill.
CORFing after loss
“Cutting off reflected failure” describes distancing oneself from a favored person or group after a setback, the reverse side of association with success.
Scores and votes tell different parts of the story
Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 for the samba discussed in the article. They nevertheless received enough audience votes to remain in the competition.
The available account gives no vote totals or contestant-by-contestant comparison. The gap between judges’ points and audience support is visible, but its size cannot be measured from these details.
One episode cannot establish a lasting trend, the scale of support or what motivated individual voters.
How the connection may work
Psychology Today applies established ideas about group identification and self-image to a celebrity competition.
What the concepts can—and cannot—show
The research supplies background for interpreting fan behavior. It does not directly test Rodriguez’s audience.
Ideas with a history
Robert Cialdini and co-authors examined BIRG in a 1976 study based on three studies involving football supporters. A 1986 paper by Craig Snyder, Mary Lassegard and Carol Ford examined distancing after group success and failure, including BIRG and CORF.
No direct audience test
No vote counts, episode-to-episode trend or audience research are provided. The article also gives no eventual outcome. Online disagreement and rigging allegations document debate; they do not establish manipulation.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
Derek Hough · Judge“I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.”
Bruno Tonioli · Judge“We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba.”
Dancing With the Stars · Official InstagramWhat we know so far
What does BIRG mean?
“Basking in reflected glory” describes feeling associated with another person’s success, such as a fan feeling pride when a favored contestant wins.
Why is Rodriguez attracting support?
The article points to his existing fan base, perceived authenticity, openness about his dancing and underdog story. BIRG may contribute, but no single cause is established.
How did the samba score?
Rodriguez and Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges. Their audience support was enough to keep them in the competition; vote totals were not reported.
What comes next?
The pair were set to return for another episode. Later results could show whether support continues, but one episode cannot establish a lasting pattern.
Why Fans Rally Around Rodriguez
The analysis matters because Rodriguez’s continued place in the competition highlights a gap between judges’ scores and audience votes. Viewers are not choosing a contestant solely by technical evaluation; entertainment, identification and a sense of connection can also influence how they participate in a televised contest. That does not mean the judges’ assessment is wrong or that fans share one motive. It shows why a contestant with modest scores can remain a compelling part of the show.
BIRG also helps explain why a contestant’s success can feel personally rewarding to supporters. Psychology Today describes this as a way people associate themselves with a winning person or group and present a positive image of themselves. For Rodriguez’s fans, the appeal may lie in backing someone they see as genuine and unlikely to succeed by conventional standards. The interpretation is plausible, but the article does not report audience research demonstrating that BIRG caused his votes.
The same connection can have a less positive side. If fans take a favorite’s fortunes personally, disappointment may prompt them to withdraw support or criticize people they believe threaten that success. The article reports disagreement among viewers over Rodriguez’s place in the competition, including comments saying he should leave, as well as allegations that the show was rigged. Those comments are evidence of online debate, not evidence that the competition is manipulated.
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From Kimmel Sidekick to DWTS Favorite
Rodriguez’s television profile predates his appearance on Dancing With the Stars. Psychology Today describes his rise from a quirky security guard to a sidekick on Kimmel’s show as the basis of an existing fan base. That history makes it difficult to treat his current support as a reaction to the dance competition alone: viewers may be bringing years of familiarity and affection with them.
The BIRG concept was examined in a 1976 study by Cialdini and co-authors, based on three studies involving football supporters. A 1986 paper by Craig Snyder, Mary Lassegard and Carol Ford examined distancing after group success and failure, including BIRG and CORF. Psychology Today applies those ideas to a celebrity competition, where viewers can express support through votes and public comments. The studies provide background for the concepts; they do not test Rodriguez’s audience.
The article also points to reactions from the show itself. Judge Derek Hough said, “Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you,” while judge Bruno Tonioli said, “I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.” The show’s official Instagram account praised the pair’s samba, writing, “We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba.” These statements document enthusiasm around the performance, but do not establish that the judges or the show were motivated by BIRG.
““Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.””
— Derek Hough, Dancing With the Stars judge
underdog support motivational poster
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What Fan Votes Cannot Show
The available account does not give the number of votes Rodriguez and Carson received, how voting compared across contestants, or how much audience support changed from episode to episode. It is therefore not possible to quantify the effect of his fan base or conclude that BIRG explains his survival in the competition. Psychology Today offers the concept as one possible explanation alongside his existing popularity, perceived authenticity and underdog appeal.
The article also reports accusations by viewers that the show was rigged, but provides no evidence supporting those allegations. It does not specify which episode or season date corresponds to the reported samba, and the supplied details do not establish the competition’s eventual outcome. Whether online comments represent the broader audience is also unclear.
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The Competition’s Next Test
Rodriguez and Carson were set to return for another episode after the audience vote described in the article. Their next performances and results would show whether viewers continue to support the pair, but scores and votes from a single episode cannot establish a lasting trend. The reported information gives no later elimination result or finale outcome.
For now, the development is best understood as a popular response to an unlikely contestant, interpreted through established ideas about group identification and self-image. Whether BIRG is driving support, and how long that support will last, remain open questions until further episodes—and more direct evidence about audience behavior—provide a clearer picture.
celebrity support reflection journal
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Key Questions
What does BIRG mean?
BIRG stands for “basking in reflected glory.” It describes feeling associated with another person’s success, such as a fan feeling some reflected pride when a favored contestant wins.
Why is Guillermo Rodriguez attracting support on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his existing fan base, his perceived authenticity and lack of pretension, his openness about his dancing ability, and his underdog story. It also suggests BIRG may contribute, but does not establish a single cause for viewers’ votes.
How did Rodriguez and Carson do with the judges?
The samba discussed in the article received 13 out of 30 from the judges. The pair nevertheless received enough audience votes to return for another episode; vote totals were not provided.
Is there evidence that Dancing With the Stars was rigged?
The article reports that some viewers accused the show of being rigged, but it presents no evidence supporting that allegation. Online comments alone do not establish that results were manipulated.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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