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Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, has become an unexpected audience favorite on the current season of Dancing With the Stars despite low judges’ scores. Psychology Today suggests his appeal may reflect his perceived authenticity and “basking in reflected glory,” a social psychology concept describing how people share in the positive feelings of someone else’s success.
Guillermo Rodriguez has become an unexpected audience favorite on the current season of Dancing With the Stars, returning to the competition despite receiving a 13 out of 30 from the judges for a recent samba with professional partner Witney Carson. Psychology Today argues that viewers’ support may reflect both Rodriguez’s perceived authenticity and underdog appeal and a psychological process known as basking in reflected glory.
Rodriguez is familiar to audiences as a longtime sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s television show, after first becoming known as a security guard who appeared on camera. Psychology Today says his appeal rests partly on his lack of pretense and willingness to acknowledge when he is not especially skilled at something. The article describes those qualities as resonating with viewers who value a sense of authenticity.
His dancing has also become part of the story. Psychology Today reports that after one performance Rodriguez opened his shirt to reveal the words “Dancing 4 The People,” presenting his continued run as a result of fans’ enthusiasm rather than his technical ability. The article says the votes were sufficient to keep him and Carson in the competition after the low samba score, though it does not provide vote totals or a comparison with other contestants.
The article connects the response to basking in reflected glory, or BIRG: feeling some of the positive emotions associated with another person’s success, even without having helped produce it. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced the term in a 1976 study of football fans. Psychology Today applies the idea to viewers identifying with Rodriguez as his run continues, while noting that the concept offers one explanation—not a measured account of why individual viewers voted.
Audience psychology · DWTS spotlight
Reflected Glory: Understanding Guillermo Rodriguez’s Celebrity Appeal
Why has Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick become an audience favorite on Dancing With the Stars? Perceived authenticity, underdog appeal and a familiar face may help explain the response—while the voting motives remain unknown.
01 / The appeal
More than a score
The article points to a mix of personality, familiarity and a compelling underdog story. These are explanations offered by Psychology Today, not measured causes of individual votes.
A face viewers know
Rodriguez first came to wider attention as an on-camera security guard, then became a longtime sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. That history gave him an audience before DWTS.
Comfortably unpolished
Psychology Today describes his self-deprecating style and willingness to admit when he is not especially skilled as qualities that can feel genuine to viewers.
“Dancing 4 The People”
After one performance, he opened his shirt to reveal the phrase. The gesture framed his continued run as driven by fan enthusiasm rather than technical ability.
The score is 43% of the possible points. The article gives no vote totals or contestant comparison.
02 / The concept
How reflected glory works
Basking in reflected glory, or BIRG, describes feeling some of the positive emotions associated with another person’s success—even without having helped create it.
Choose a favorite
A viewer feels connected to a contestant, team or group.
Follow the run
The person’s progress becomes part of the viewer’s emotional experience.
Share the high
A win or continued success can bring reflected positive feelings.
Support may follow
Identification is one possible influence on engagement or voting—not proof of motive.
03 / What the research says
A lens, not a vote count
Research gives context for the terminology. It does not reveal why Rodriguez’s viewers voted or how many votes he received.
From football fans to reality television
Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced BIRG in a 1976 paper based on three field studies involving football. A 1986 study by C.R. Snyder, Mary Lassegard and Carol Ford examined basking in reflected glory and distancing oneself after group failure.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
“I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.”
“We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba.”
04 / Limits & context
What the vote does not reveal
Audience enthusiasm is visible in the outcome described; its causes are not established by the available account.
He stayed after a low score
Psychology Today says viewer votes kept Rodriguez and Carson in the competition after their reported 13 out of 30 samba score. It also cites positive audience comments, favorable judge remarks and an official show post.
Why each viewer voted
No vote totals, audience polling or breakdown of motives are provided. Support could reflect BIRG, humor, familiarity, affection, performance entertainment or other factors.
CORFing
“Cutting off reflected failure” describes distancing oneself from a group or person after a loss. The article presents it as a general concept, not evidence of harassment or coordinated attacks by Rodriguez’s fans.
Allegations are not evidence
The article reports that some viewers called the show rigged and others said Rodriguez should leave. It provides no evidence that the competition is rigged and mentions no formal review or response.
05 / The next chapter
The run is still unfolding
At the time of the article, Rodriguez had returned for another episode. His eventual placement and whether support continues remain unresolved.
Why is Guillermo Rodriguez getting attention?
Psychology Today points to his existing television following, self-deprecating manner, perceived authenticity and unexpected run despite limited dancing skill.
What does BIRG mean?
Basking in reflected glory is sharing in positive feelings or social benefits by identifying with someone else’s success. Cialdini and colleagues introduced the term in a 1976 paper on football fans.
Did he receive a low samba score?
The article reports that Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges. Audience voting kept them in the competition afterward.
Will fan support reach the finale?
That is unknown. Future scores and eliminations may show whether support continues, but they cannot by themselves explain why viewers voted.
How Fan Identification Shapes Voting
The discussion matters because audience votes can affect who remains in a televised competition, while judges assess performance on a separate basis. Rodriguez’s run illustrates how entertainment contests can reward more than technical execution: viewers may also respond to a contestant’s personality, story and perceived connection with them.
BIRG offers one way to understand why fans may take pleasure in a favorite’s success. Psychology Today says association with a person on a winning streak can support a fan’s positive public image and self-esteem. That framework should not be mistaken for proof that it drove voting in this season. The article provides no survey or voting data establishing fans’ motives, and support could also reflect humor, familiarity, affection for Rodriguez, or other reasons.
There can be a less positive side to intense identification. The article describes “cutting off reflected failure,” or CORFing: distancing oneself from a group or person after a loss. It suggests that fans invested in a favorite’s success may feel pressure to protect it, potentially contributing to conflict with supporters of other contestants. This is a general psychological interpretation, not evidence that Rodriguez’s fans have engaged in harassment or coordinated attacks.
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From Kimmel Sidekick to DWTS Contestant
Rodriguez’s television profile predates his appearance on the dance show. His progression from an on-camera security guard to a recurring onstage sidekick gave him an established audience before the competition began. Psychology Today presents that familiarity as part of why viewers may be receptive to him, alongside what it calls his unpolished, self-deprecating style.
The article also cites public reactions to his performances. It reports that one comment on a Deadline article about Rodriguez’s run said, “The world needs more Guillermos and especially now!” That comment is an example of individual audience sentiment, not a representative measure of viewers. Psychology Today also notes favorable remarks from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli and a post on the show’s official Instagram praising Rodriguez and Carson’s samba.
The psychological explanation draws on published research. Cialdini, Robert Borden, Allen Thorne, Marcus Walker, Stephen Freeman and Lloyd Sloan’s 1976 paper examined BIRG in three field studies involving football. A later study by C.R. Snyder, Mary Lassegard and Carol Ford, published in 1986, examined both basking in reflected glory and distancing oneself after group failure. These studies provide background for the terms; they do not establish why viewers support Rodriguez specifically.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
— Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough, as quoted by Psychology Today
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What the Vote Does Not Reveal
The available account does not include vote totals, audience polling or a breakdown of voting motives. It is not possible to determine how much of Rodriguez’s support comes from BIRG, his existing television following, his perceived authenticity, the entertainment value of his performances or other factors.
Psychology Today reports that some viewers accused the show of being rigged and that others argued Rodriguez should leave because of his dancing. Those are viewer claims and opinions; the account provides no evidence that the competition is rigged. The article also does not say whether any formal review or response addressed the allegations.
His eventual placement and whether audience support will continue remain unknown. The article describes him returning for another episode at the time it was written, not the outcome of the full season.
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The Next Vote and Rodriguez’s Run
The next immediate development is whether viewers continue voting for Rodriguez and Carson as the competition proceeds. Their continued participation depends on the show’s results; the account gives no confirmed schedule or later outcome. Future scores and eliminations may show whether audience enthusiasm remains strong, but neither will by itself reveal why people voted.
For now, the clearest confirmed point is that Rodriguez stayed in the competition after the reported samba score of 13 out of 30. Psychology Today’s BIRG explanation remains a psychological interpretation of the response, not a finding based on the show’s private voting data. Whether the run reaches the finale—or a championship—is still unresolved.
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Key Questions
Why is Guillermo Rodriguez getting attention on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his existing television following, self-deprecating manner and perceived authenticity, along with audience interest in his unexpected run despite limited dancing skill.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
BIRG describes people sharing in the positive feelings or social benefits of someone else’s success by identifying with that person. The term was introduced by Robert Cialdini and colleagues in a 1976 paper on football fans.
Did Rodriguez receive a low score for his samba?
Psychology Today reports that Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges for a recent samba, but that audience voting kept them in the competition for another episode.
Does BIRG prove why viewers voted for Rodriguez?
No. Psychology Today offers BIRG as one possible explanation. The account includes no vote totals, polling or direct evidence establishing viewers’ individual motivations.
Has Dancing With the Stars been shown to be rigged?
The article reports that some viewers made rigging accusations, but it provides no evidence supporting them. The claims should not be treated as established fact.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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