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Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick, has become an unexpected hit on the current season of Dancing With the Stars despite receiving a low score for a recent samba. Psychology Today says his underdog appeal and the psychology of “basking in reflected glory” may help explain fan support, but voting figures and the effect of that phenomenon have not been established.
Guillermo Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel sidekick competing with professional partner Witney Carson on Dancing With the Stars, has become an unexpected audience favorite, prompting a Psychology Today article to examine the psychology behind his support. The article points to his underdog image and a phenomenon called “basking in reflected glory” as possible explanations, while noting that his samba received 13 out of 30 from the judges.
Rodriguez’s popularity is not entirely new. Psychology Today describes his rise from a security guard to an onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s show and says he brought an existing fan base to the dance competition. The article links his appeal to his lack of pretense, willingness to be himself and readiness to acknowledge that dancing is not his strongest skill. Those qualities may make him seem relatable to viewers.
The article also describes a moment after a performance when Rodriguez opened his shirt to reveal the words “Dancing 4 The People.” Psychology Today interprets the gesture as recognition that audience enthusiasm, rather than technical dancing ability, was helping sustain his run. It says viewers have continued voting for Rodriguez and Carson despite the low score for their samba, but it gives no vote totals or other figures to measure their support.
To explain why a performer’s success might feel rewarding to fans, the article discusses basking in reflected glory, or BIRG. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and co-authors introduced the term in a 1976 paper about football fans. The concept describes people gaining a positive feeling or image from associating themselves with a successful person or group, even when they did not cause that success. Psychology Today suggests the idea may help account for the intensity of support for Rodriguez, but does not establish that BIRG caused his voting support.
Audience psychology · Dancing With the Stars
Exploring Reflected Glory and Guillermo Rodriguez’s Rise to Notice
Guillermo Rodriguez’s unlikely run with Witney Carson has drawn attention after a low samba score. Psychology Today explores how his underdog appeal and “basking in reflected glory” might help explain audience support—while the voting evidence remains unknown.
Why do viewers keep rooting for Guillermo?
Several explanations are possibleJudges’ points capture technical assessment, not the reasons viewers vote.
01 / The appeal
Why fans rally around Rodriguez
The article points to a mix of personality, perseverance and an existing public profile. These are plausible sources of connection, not measured explanations for any individual vote.
Trying something difficult
Rodriguez has acknowledged that dancing is not his strongest skill. Continuing in the competition can make the journey feel encouraging to viewers.
Unpretentious persona
Psychology Today describes him as willing to be himself and lacking pretense—qualities that may feel familiar and accessible.
From sidekick to contestant
His work alongside Jimmy Kimmel brought recognition and an audience before he partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson.
“Dancing 4 The People”
After a performance, Rodriguez opened his shirt to reveal the phrase. Psychology Today reads the gesture as an acknowledgment that audience enthusiasm—not technical scores alone—was sustaining the run.
02 / The concept
Basking in reflected glory
BIRG describes a positive feeling or image people may gain by associating themselves with someone successful, even when they did not cause that success. It offers one possible lens on fan investment in a contestant.
A viewer identifies with a performer or group.
The favorite’s achievement can feel rewarding by association.
Fans may celebrate, discuss or vote for the contestant.
A theory does not reveal why a particular person voted.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
Derek Hough · As quoted by Psychology Today“I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.”
Bruno Tonioli · As quoted by Psychology Today“We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba.”
Official DWTS Instagram · As quoted by Psychology Today03 / What the evidence says
Scores and support tell different stories
A televised competition combines judges’ assessments with audience voting. The reported samba score is specific; the scale and causes of audience support are not.
The second bar indicates missing data, not the size of Rodriguez’s support. No vote totals, margins or audience research are provided.
| What is reported | What remains unestablished | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| Samba score of 13 out of 30 | How many viewers voted for Rodriguez and Carson | Score reported |
| Continued audience support is described | How that support compares with other contestants | No vote figures |
| BIRG is offered as a possible explanation | Whether BIRG caused votes for this pair | Not tested here |
| Criticism and rigging accusations are mentioned | Evidence that voting was manipulated | Not established |
04 / A broader pattern
Identification can cut both ways
The article also describes a less positive counterpart to celebrating a favorite’s success: distancing oneself from a group after failure.
Sharing reflected success
Fans may feel some satisfaction through their association with a successful person or group.
Cutting off reflected failure
People may distance themselves from a favorite after failure, the contrasting response discussed in the article.
Not proof of hostility
The account mentions critical comments and fan concerns, but does not establish a broader harassment pattern or its cause.
Research provides context
The article cites Cialdini and colleagues’ 1976 football-fan study and a 1986 paper by C.R. Snyder, M. Lassegard and C.E. Ford. These studies inform the concepts; they did not measure why DWTS viewers voted for Rodriguez.
05 / What comes next
Watch the results, keep the cause open
Rodriguez and Carson are set to return for the next stage described in the article. Future scores and eliminations may show whether their run continues, but outcomes alone cannot explain viewers’ motives.
Judges assess the pair’s dancing.
Viewers take part through voting.
The pair’s progress becomes clearer.
Direct fan research would be needed to explain why.
Quick answers
Key questions
Why has Guillermo Rodriguez become popular?
Psychology Today points to his underdog appeal, lack of pretense and existing audience from his work with Jimmy Kimmel. BIRG is one possible explanation for fan investment, not a definitive cause.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
It describes a positive feeling or image gained from associating with a successful person or group, even without contributing to that success. Cialdini and co-authors introduced the term in a 1976 football-fan study.
How did he score for the samba?
The score reported by Psychology Today was 13 out of 30 from the judges.
Can the available account explain the voting?
No. It provides no vote totals or audience research, so BIRG, personality, existing fame and other possible influences cannot be separated.
Why Fans Rally Around Rodriguez
The discussion helps explain why audience voting on a televised competition does not necessarily track judges’ assessments of technical performance. Viewers may value personality, perseverance and relatability alongside dancing skill, and a contestant’s popularity can become part of the competition’s story. In Rodriguez’s case, the contrast between a low samba score and his continued presence has drawn attention to the strength of audience support.
BIRG offers one interpretation of that support: fans may feel some reflected satisfaction when a person they back succeeds. Psychology Today also connects Rodriguez’s appeal to the underdog narrative, suggesting that watching someone continue despite a perceived disadvantage can be encouraging. These are explanations of possible motivation, not evidence about what any particular viewer felt or why they voted.
The same psychological idea has a less positive side. The article says fans may distance themselves from a favorite’s failure, a response known as cutting off reflected failure, or CORFing. Strong identification can also make competition feel personal and, in some cases, contribute to hostility toward perceived threats. The article notes critical comments about Rodriguez’s dancing and concerns among fans of other contestants, but does not document a broader pattern of harassment or establish that BIRG caused such reactions.
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From Sidekick to Dance Contestant
Rodriguez first became known to viewers through his work alongside Jimmy Kimmel, according to Psychology Today. His television persona, which the article characterizes as quirky and unpretentious, gave him recognition before his appearance on Dancing With the Stars. His current competition run therefore combines an existing public profile with the novelty of seeing him take on a skill he has acknowledged is not his strongest.
The article refers to a Deadline headline saying Rodriguez was “finally getting his moment” and to audience responses under that coverage. One commenter praised his lack of pretense, writing, “The world needs more Guillermos and especially now!” Such reactions illustrate the tone of some public support, but comments on an article do not show how representative those views are among all viewers.
Psychology Today grounds its BIRG discussion in two academic studies. A 1976 paper by Cialdini and colleagues examined fans’ responses to football outcomes; a 1986 paper by C.R. Snyder, M. Lassegard and C.E. Ford examined distancing after group success and failure. These studies provide background for the concepts, but the article does not report that researchers tested Rodriguez’s audience or measured why viewers voted for him.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
— Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough, as quoted by Psychology Today
underdog dance competition apparel
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What the Voting Cannot Show
The available account does not provide vote totals, voting margins or audience research. It is not clear how many viewers backed Rodriguez, how his support compares with that of other contestants, or whether his fans’ voting was driven by BIRG, his personality, his existing fame, the partnership with Carson, or other factors. The psychological explanation is presented as a possible part of the answer, not as a proven cause.
The article also mentions accusations that the show was rigged and critical comments about Rodriguez’s dancing. It provides no evidence supporting those accusations, and no information here establishes that the competition’s voting process was manipulated. The outcome of the season, how long Rodriguez will remain in the contest, and whether the reaction described will persist are also unknown.
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The Competition’s Next Results
Rodriguez and Carson are set to return for the next stage described in Psychology Today’s account, following the latest episode. Their progress will depend on the competition’s results, including audience voting; the article does not provide a date for the next results or a forecast of how the pair will perform.
Future scores and eliminations may show whether Rodriguez’s audience support continues, but they will not by themselves explain why viewers voted. Without vote data or direct research with fans, BIRG remains one plausible interpretation among several. The immediate development to watch is whether Rodriguez and Carson remain in the competition and how judges and viewers respond to their next performance.
celebrity fan memorabilia Guillermo Rodriguez
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Key Questions
Why has Guillermo Rodriguez become popular on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his underdog appeal, lack of pretense and existing audience from his work with Jimmy Kimmel. It also offers BIRG as one possible explanation for why fans may feel invested in his success. The article does not establish one definitive cause.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
BIRG describes the positive feeling or public image people may gain from associating themselves with a successful person or group, even when they did not contribute to that success. The term was introduced by Robert Cialdini and co-authors in a 1976 study of football fans.
How did Rodriguez score for the samba discussed in the article?
Psychology Today reports that the judges gave Rodriguez and Carson’s samba 13 out of 30. The article says the pair remained in the competition after viewers voted, but does not give vote totals.
Does the article show that fans voted for Rodriguez because of BIRG?
No. It presents BIRG as a possible explanation, alongside his underdog image and perceived authenticity. The article does not report audience research or voting data that could establish why people supported him.
Is there evidence that Dancing With the Stars voting was rigged?
The article mentions online accusations but provides no evidence to substantiate them. It does not establish that the voting process was manipulated.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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