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Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, has drawn strong viewer support on Dancing With the Stars despite low scores for a recent samba. Psychology Today’s analysis suggests the response may partly reflect “basking in reflected glory,” or BIRG: fans’ vicarious enjoyment of someone else’s success.
Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick and a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, has continued in the competition with professional partner Witney Carson despite receiving a low score for a recent samba. Psychology Today argues that some of the audience’s support may be explained by basking in reflected glory, or BIRG: the feeling of sharing in the success of someone a person supports.
The recent dance received 13 points out of 30 from the judges, according to the Psychology Today account. The article says enough viewers voted for Rodriguez and Carson to keep them in the competition, but it gives no vote totals or comparison with other couples. The outcome highlights a difference between judges’ scoring and audience support; the available details do not establish how much either determined the result.
Psychology Today describes Rodriguez’s appeal as rooted partly in his established public persona. He became known as a quirky security guard turned onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, and fans have responded to his self-deprecation, apparent authenticity and willingness to acknowledge limits in his dancing. After one performance, he opened his shirt to show the words “Dancing 4 The People,” a gesture the article presents as crediting fan enthusiasm rather than technical skill for his progress.
The analysis also points to his underdog status. Viewers may find his persistence encouraging, particularly when other contestants appear more technically capable. That is an interpretation of why people support him, not a measured finding about the motives of individual voters.
Audience psychology · Dancing With the Stars
Reflected Glory in Action: The Guillermo Rodriguez Phenomenon
A low samba score and continued audience support put Guillermo Rodriguez’s run in focus. Psychology Today suggests that basking in reflected glory may help explain the appeal, alongside his familiar comic persona and underdog story.
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Fans may share in the success of someone they support.
BIRG · A possible explanationJudges score the dance. Viewers shape the outcome.
The reported result shows a gap between one routine’s score and the audience support needed to remain in the competition. The exact voting formula and totals are not provided.
30 points
Enough support to stay
Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson received enough audience votes to continue, according to the account.
Without totals or the voting formula, the available details cannot show how votes and judges’ scores combined.
A familiar persona meets an underdog story
Psychology Today offers several possible sources of appeal. These are interpretations of audience behavior, not measured reasons given by individual voters.
An established public persona
Rodriguez became known as a quirky security guard turned onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, giving him visibility before the competition.
Humor and self-awareness
His self-deprecation and willingness to acknowledge limits in his dancing may make him feel relatable to viewers.
Persistence over polish
Fans may find his persistence encouraging, especially beside contestants who seem more technically capable.
After one performance, Rodriguez opened his shirt to reveal “Dancing 4 The People,” crediting fan enthusiasm for his progress.
What “basking in reflected glory” means
BIRG describes a possible way people feel or present themselves positively through association with someone or a group that succeeds.
Where the concept comes from
Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced BIRG in a 1976 study of college football fans. A 1986 study by C. R. Snyder, M. Lassegard, and C. E. Ford examined “cutting off reflected failure,” or distancing oneself from a group after it loses.
What it can—and cannot—tell us
Psychology Today applies these ideas to Rodriguez’s supporters. The account cites no fan survey or voting analysis that establishes BIRG as the reason people voted.
Enthusiasm on the ballroom floor
Comments from judges and the show’s official Instagram account signal attention and affection. They do not show whether those remarks changed voting.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
Derek Hough · Dancing With the Stars judge“I understand why you’re becoming ‘a national obsession.’”
Bruno Tonioli · Dancing With the Stars judge“We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba.”
Dancing With the Stars · Official Instagram accountWhat the reported details leave open
The account describes a result and proposes explanations, but several key details are unavailable.
Not disclosed
- Season and episode date
- Vote totals or comparisons with other couples
- The formula combining judges’ scores and audience votes
- Survey evidence about why individual viewers voted
Claims need evidence
Some viewers reportedly accused the competition of being rigged. The account provides no evidence substantiating those allegations, so they remain unverified.
Key questions
What the account says—and where the evidence stops.
Why has Rodriguez gained support?
Possible factors include his established persona, perceived authenticity, self-deprecating humor, vulnerability, and underdog appeal. BIRG is another proposed explanation, not a measured motive.
What does BIRG mean?
“Basking in reflected glory”: feeling or presenting oneself positively through association with a successful person or group.
How did the samba score?
Psychology Today reports 13 out of 30. The account says the pair received enough votes to remain, but gives no vote totals.
Has rigging been shown?
No evidence of manipulation is provided in the account. Reported accusations remain unsubstantiated.
How Fan Votes Shape the Contest
Rodriguez’s run draws attention to the role of audience voting in a dance competition where judges assess performance. A contestant can receive a low score for a particular routine and still advance if audience support is sufficient. The account does not provide the voting formula or totals, so it cannot show precisely how the samba score and votes combined to determine the result.
The BIRG explanation offers one way to understand why a following might grow around an unlikely contender. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced the term in a 1976 study of college football fans. The concept describes how people may feel and present themselves more positively through association with someone or a group that is succeeding. Psychology Today applies that idea to Rodriguez’s supporters, while also pointing to his perceived relatability and the appeal of an underdog story.
The distinction matters: a psychological framework can help interpret public behavior, but it does not prove why any particular viewer voted. The report includes no survey of Rodriguez’s fans and no analysis of voting data showing that BIRG drove the result.
Dancing With the Stars fan support merchandise
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From Kimmel Sidekick to Contestant
Rodriguez’s television profile predates his appearance on Dancing With The Stars. Psychology Today traces his celebrity to his move from working as a security guard to appearing alongside Jimmy Kimmel, where his comic persona helped build an audience. That existing recognition may have provided a base of viewers before the dance competition began; the article does not quantify how large that fan base was.
The BIRG concept is also distinct from simple admiration for a performance. In the 1976 study cited by Psychology Today, Cialdini and colleagues examined football fans’ tendency to associate themselves with a team after success. A later study by C. R. Snyder, M. Lassegard and C. E. Ford, published in 1986, examined “cutting off reflected failure,” or distancing oneself from a group after it loses. Psychology Today uses these ideas to discuss both the positive pull of Rodriguez’s progress and the possibility that fans may react strongly to threats to it.
Judges have also expressed enthusiasm. Derek Hough said, “Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you,” while Bruno Tonioli said he understood why Rodriguez was becoming “a national obsession.” The show’s official Instagram account praised the samba by Rodriguez and Carson. Those remarks indicate public attention; they do not establish that the judges’ comments affected voting.
““Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.””
— Derek Hough, Dancing With the Stars judge, as quoted in Psychology Today
What the Vote Numbers Do Not Show
The account does not identify the season, provide the episode date, disclose vote totals or describe the voting formula. It is therefore not possible from these details to calculate how much support Rodriguez received, compare his votes with those of other contestants, or determine how his score affected the final result.
It also remains uncertain why individual viewers voted for him. Psychology Today presents BIRG as a possible explanation alongside perceived authenticity, humor, vulnerability and underdog appeal. No fan survey or voting analysis is cited to establish which factors mattered most. The article reports accusations from some viewers that the competition was being rigged, but offers no evidence substantiating those allegations; they should not be treated as established fact.
The Next Elimination Will Test Support
Rodriguez and Carson are set to return for another episode, according to Psychology Today’s account. Their next result will depend on the show’s judging and audience-voting process, but the available information does not give a schedule or predict how either will perform.
Whether Rodriguez can continue through later rounds or reach the mirror-ball final is unresolved. Further results could show whether viewer support persists, but vote totals would be needed to measure its scale. The proposed BIRG explanation remains an interpretation unless evidence directly connects fans’ voting decisions to that psychological process.
Key Questions
Why has Guillermo Rodriguez gained support on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today suggests several possible reasons: his established public persona, perceived authenticity, self-deprecating humor, willingness to acknowledge his dancing limitations and appeal as an underdog. The article also proposes basking in reflected glory as one explanation, but does not measure fans’ motivations.
What does BIRG mean?
BIRG stands for “basking in reflected glory.” The term describes people’s tendency to feel or present themselves positively through association with someone or a group that is succeeding. It is a framework for interpreting fan behavior, not proof of why a particular person supports a contestant.
How did Rodriguez score for the samba?
Psychology Today reports that the judges gave Rodriguez and Carson’s samba 13 out of 30. The account says they received enough audience votes to remain in the competition, but does not include the vote totals.
Has the show been shown to be rigged?
No. Psychology Today reports that some viewers made accusations about rigging, but provides no evidence that the competition was manipulated. The allegation remains unsubstantiated in the reported details.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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