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Guillermo Rodriguez has remained on Dancing With the Stars despite a low score for his samba, with fan voting keeping him and partner Witney Carson in the competition. A Psychology Today analysis suggests his underdog appeal and the psychological pull of sharing in a favorite’s success may help explain the support; it does not establish why individual viewers voted.
Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick and a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, has advanced despite receiving 13 out of 30 from the judges for a samba with professional partner Witney Carson, according to a Psychology Today analysis. The article suggests that his support may reflect both his appeal as an underdog and a psychological tendency known as basking in reflected glory, in which fans feel some of a favorite’s success as their own.
Rodriguez’s continued place in the competition is notable because the analysis describes other dancers as more skilled and reports a low score for his samba. But scores are not the only factor: viewers also vote, and the article says enough fans backed Rodriguez and Carson for them to return for another episode. It provides no vote totals, so the scale of that support cannot be measured from the figures given.
The article traces Rodriguez’s appeal to qualities that viewers may find relatable: he does not appear to take himself too seriously, presents himself without much pretense, and acknowledges when he lacks skill. After one dance, he reportedly opened his shirt to show the words “Dancing 4 The People,” crediting fans’ enthusiasm rather than his dancing ability. Comments on a Deadline article also praised his unpretentious manner, although the article does not provide a systematic survey of viewers.
Psychology Today connects the fan 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 may feel and publicly express a connection to the success of a person or group they support, even though they did not produce that success themselves. The article applies the concept to Rodriguez’s run on the show, while presenting it as a possible explanation rather than proof of why people voted.
Audience psychology · Dancing With the Stars
Reflected Glory and the Guillermo Rodriguez Phenomenon
A low samba score did not end Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson’s run. A Psychology Today analysis points to fan voting, underdog appeal and “basking in reflected glory” as possible parts of the story—while leaving individual voters’ motives unknown.
Judges’ score reported in the analysis
Support is described, but not quantified
Basking in reflected glory
Cialdini and colleagues’ football fan studies
01 / Why he connects
An underdog with an audience
The article interprets Rodriguez’s appeal through a mix of familiarity, perceived authenticity and the pleasure fans may feel when a favorite keeps advancing.
A familiar face
Rodriguez moved from security guard to onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s program, where his quirky persona had already earned him an audience.
Unpretentious style
The analysis says viewers may relate to his lack of pretense and his willingness to acknowledge that dancing is not his strength.
The underdog effect
Progress despite lower expectations can make a contestant compelling. This is an interpretation of the response, not a measured account of each fan’s motive.
02 / How the vote shaped the run
Scores tell only part of the story
The reported episode shows that viewer support played a direct role in the pair’s return. The analysis does not provide the show’s vote weighting or the size of the audience vote.
03 / The psychology
How reflected glory works
BIRG describes a felt or publicly expressed connection to a person or group’s success. The concept offers context for fan behavior; it does not prove why viewers supported this contestant.
Choose a favorite
A viewer identifies with a person or team they support.
See them succeed
The favorite advances, wins or earns public recognition.
Share the feeling
The supporter may feel connected to that success.
Show affiliation
Fans may publicly express their connection to the favorite.
04 / Words from the show
Support became part of the spectacle
The Psychology Today article quotes judges and the show’s official Instagram account expressing enthusiasm for the pair.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
Derek Hough · Dancing With the Stars judge, as quoted in Psychology Today
05 / Research context
Two concepts, different studies
The research offers background for the terms used in the article. It does not directly examine Rodriguez’s viewers or the show’s voting.
Connection to success
Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced “basking in reflected glory” in a paper based on three studies involving football fans.
Distance after failure
C. R. Snyder, M. Lassegard and C. E. Ford examined distancing after group success and failure, including “cutting off reflected failure.”
06 / What the account can establish
Keep the interpretation in view
The article offers a plausible lens on fan behavior, but the available details leave several questions open.
No totals or audience poll show the scale of support or how it compared with other contestants.
BIRG is one possible explanation alongside celebrity recognition, perceived authenticity and underdog appeal.
The season, episode date and later placement are not established. The account leaves the next vote as an open question.
The article mentions rigging accusations and possible fan hostility but does not substantiate either as a finding about supporters.
07 / Quick answers
Key questions
Why did Rodriguez draw attention?
The article points to his existing television audience, underdog status and a manner some viewers may see as authentic. It does not measure why individual fans voted.
What does BIRG mean?
“Basking in reflected glory” describes feeling or expressing a connection to the success of a person or group one supports.
What score did the samba receive?
The Psychology Today analysis reports a score of 13 out of 30 for Rodriguez and Witney Carson.
Did the pair win the competition?
The information summarized here does not establish their later results or final placement. A verified season update would be needed.
How Fan Votes Shape His Run
The episode described in the analysis shows how a televised dance competition can turn on more than judges’ evaluations. Viewer votes helped keep Rodriguez in the contest after his samba received 13 out of 30, giving audience support a direct role in who returned. The article does not say how the show weights votes against judges’ scores, or whether the judging result alone would have changed the outcome.
The psychological interpretation also helps explain why an unconventional contestant can attract attention. Some viewers may respond to a perceived connection with a person who keeps succeeding against expectations, and may experience that success as personally rewarding. That is an interpretation of the pattern, not a measured account of the motives of Rodriguez’s individual supporters.
There is a downside to intense identification, the article argues. If fans take a favorite’s success personally, a loss may feel personal too. Psychology Today describes “cutting off reflected failure,” or CORFing, as distancing oneself from a person or group after it loses. It also notes that competition between fan groups can become hostile, though it gives no evidence that Rodriguez’s supporters have engaged in attacks.
Dancing With the Stars fan voting support
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From Kimmel Sidekick to Contestant
Rodriguez’s television profile began before his appearance on Dancing With the Stars. Psychology Today describes his path from a security guard to an onstage sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s program, where his quirky persona had already earned him an audience. That existing recognition offers one straightforward reason he may have entered the competition with supporters.
The article also situates his appeal in the contrast between an admitted lack of dancing prowess and continued progress. It says some viewers value his apparent authenticity and willingness to be vulnerable about what he cannot do well. Those observations are the article’s interpretation of his public appeal, not results from a poll or direct research with viewers.
The BIRG concept was set out in a 1976 paper by Robert Cialdini and colleagues, based on three studies involving football fans. A later 1986 study by C. R. Snyder, M. Lassegard and C. E. Ford examined distancing after group success and failure, including basking in reflected glory and cutting off reflected failure. These studies provide background for the psychological terms; they do not directly test why viewers supported Rodriguez on the show.
““Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.””
— Derek Hough, Dancing With the Stars judge, as quoted in the Psychology Today article
underdog dance competition costumes
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What Fan Support Cannot Prove
The article does not report vote totals, audience polling, or a direct study of why viewers supported Rodriguez. BIRG is offered as one possible explanation alongside his existing celebrity profile, apparent authenticity and underdog status. The evidence presented does not show how much each factor contributed, or whether fans were consciously responding to the phenomenon.
The exact episode date, season number and current status of Rodriguez’s run are not specified. The article says he and Carson were returning after the samba episode, but it does not establish whether they later reached the finale or won. It also mentions accusations that the show was rigged, but supplies no evidence supporting those allegations; they should be treated as viewer claims, not established findings.
Nor does the article establish that Rodriguez’s supporters attacked other contestants or their fans. It discusses hostility as a possible risk of intense fan identification and refers to comments urging him to leave the contest. The number and reach of those comments are unknown.
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The Next Vote Decides His Path
At the point described, Rodriguez and Carson were set to return for another episode, and the next stage of the competition would determine whether they advanced again. The analysis frames the outcome as an open question: continued viewer support could keep the pair in the contest, while the judges’ scores and other contestants’ fan bases also form part of the competition.
Psychology Today closes by asking whether the support could carry Rodriguez all the way to the mirror ball trophy. It does not provide a result. A verified update on his subsequent performances, scores and final placement would be needed to establish how the season ended.
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Key Questions
Why is Guillermo Rodriguez receiving attention on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his existing television audience, his underdog status, and what viewers may see as an unpretentious and authentic manner. It also suggests that fans may enjoy sharing in a favorite’s success, but does not measure the reasons behind individual votes.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
Basking in reflected glory, or BIRG, describes feeling or publicly emphasizing a connection to a successful person or group one supports. The concept was introduced by Robert Cialdini and colleagues in a 1976 study of football fans.
What score did Rodriguez receive for the samba?
The Psychology Today article reports that Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 from the judges for their samba. It says fan voting still kept them in the competition for another episode, but gives no vote totals.
Was Dancing With the Stars rigged to keep Rodriguez?
The article mentions online accusations that the show was rigged, but provides no evidence to support them. The accusations remain viewer claims, not established facts.
Did Rodriguez win the mirror ball trophy?
The information provided says he and Carson would return after the samba episode, but does not give their final placement. Whether they reached the finale or won is not established here.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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