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Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, has become an unexpected audience favorite on Dancing With the Stars, where votes have kept him and partner Witney Carson in the competition despite a low Samba score. Psychology Today connects that support to underdog appeal and “basking in reflected glory,” while noting that the show’s eventual results remain uncertain.
Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick, has emerged as an audience favorite on Dancing With the Stars, with viewers voting to keep him and professional partner Witney Carson in the competition despite low marks from the judges. Psychology Today argues that his run may reflect both his underdog appeal and a social-psychology effect known as basking in reflected glory, or BIRG: the pleasure people can feel when someone they support succeeds.
Rodriguez’s continued place on the show is notable because the other contestants are described as stronger dancers, and he received 13 out of 30 for a Samba. The article reports that audience votes nevertheless secured another week for Rodriguez and Carson. The season and episode dates are not specified in the account, and it does not provide vote totals or a comparison with other contestants.
Psychology Today points to Rodriguez’s existing recognition from his work on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, as well as his relaxed, self-deprecating persona. It says fans have responded to his willingness to acknowledge that dancing is not his strength. After one performance, Rodriguez opened his shirt to show the words “Dancing 4 The People,” crediting supporters’ enthusiasm rather than his technique for his progress.
The article also cites audience and show reactions. A comment on Deadline’s article praised Rodriguez’s lack of pretense, writing, “The world needs more Guillermos and especially now!” Judge Derek Hough said, “Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you,” while Bruno Tonioli said, “I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.” The show’s official Instagram account praised Rodriguez and Carson’s Samba after the episode.
Audience Psychology · Dancing With the Stars
The Guillermo Rodriguez Phenomenon And The Appeal Of Reflected Glory
How an underdog’s audience connection may keep Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson in the competition—even after a low Samba score.
Why fans keep voting
Technical scores tell only part of the story in a competition where audience votes also shape who advances.
Visible perseverance
Rodriguez acknowledges that dancing is not his strength, making each week he survives part of an underdog story.
An existing audience
His long-running role as Jimmy Kimmel’s comic sidekick had already made him recognizable to viewers.
Relaxed self-deprecation
Psychology Today says fans respond to his informal, unpretentious manner and willingness to laugh at himself.
From support to shared success
BIRG is a possible lens on fan behavior. It does not establish why any particular viewer cast a vote.
Recognize
A familiar contestant enters the show with an audience already in place.
Identify
Viewers connect with an underdog who openly admits a weakness.
Support
Fans vote, helping Rodriguez and Carson remain in the competition.
Share the win
Basking in reflected glory describes pleasure in a supported person’s success.
A low mark, another week
The reported episode shows a contrast between judges’ assessment and the outcome of audience voting.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson
The second bar represents the reported result only; vote totals, margins, and voting rules are not provided. It is not a measure of vote share.
Affection became part of the story
Comments from judges and the show’s official account reflect enthusiasm around the pair.
“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.”
Official show Instagram
What the account can—and cannot—show
Fan enthusiasm and technical judging can pull in different directions, but the size of that effect is not quantified here.
Votes kept them in
Psychology Today reports that audience votes secured another week for Rodriguez and Carson after the Samba.
Rigging allegations
Some viewers reportedly questioned whether the show was rigged. The account provides no evidence supporting that claim.
Why each person voted
No vote totals or survey explain how much support came from BIRG, underdog sympathy, an existing fan base, or other reasons.
What happens next
The article does not say whether Rodriguez and Carson will reach the final or win the mirror-ball trophy.
Key questions
The clearest takeaway is limited but meaningful: Rodriguez advanced despite a low reported score.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
A positive feeling people may get from associating themselves with a person or group that succeeds.
Did Rodriguez receive a high Samba score?
No. The reported score was 13 out of 30, while audience votes kept the pair in the competition.
Is there evidence the show was rigged?
No evidence is offered in the account. The reported accusation should not be treated as an established fact.
Will Rodriguez win?
That remains unknown. The article describes his progress as unexpected, not a prediction of the final result.
Why Fans Keep Voting for Rodriguez
The case matters beyond one contestant’s run because it shows how audience voting can reward more than technical performance. Psychology Today suggests some viewers may identify with Rodriguez as an underdog: someone who keeps advancing while openly acknowledging a weakness. In a competition where judges’ scores and public votes both shape the outcome, a strong connection with viewers can help sustain a contestant even when the judges are not impressed by a particular dance.
The article links that connection to BIRG, a term for the positive feeling people may get by associating themselves with a successful person or group. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini and colleagues introduced the concept in a 1976 study of football fans. In this case, the interpretation is that supporters may enjoy Rodriguez’s progress as a shared win. That is a proposed explanation for fan behavior, not proof that every person voting for him is motivated by the same psychological process.
There is also a competitive trade-off. Supporters of other contestants may see Rodriguez’s continued progress as a threat to their favorites, especially when scores are low. Psychology Today reports that some viewers questioned whether the show was rigged, but provides no evidence that it was. The result is a reminder that fan enthusiasm and technical judging can pull attention in different directions, while the actual influence of each on the outcome cannot be quantified from the information available.
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From Sidekick to Dance Contestant
Rodriguez was already known to audiences before joining the dance competition. According to Psychology Today, he moved from working as a security guard to appearing as a comic sidekick on Jimmy Kimmel’s program. That public profile gave him a fan base, while his informal style offered viewers a contrast with performers who appear more polished or self-assured.
The article places his appeal within a familiar underdog story: a contestant perceived as less skilled continues to advance. It describes the response as a mix of affection for his apparent authenticity and the pleasure of watching him persevere. Those are interpretations of audience reaction, rather than findings from a survey of Rodriguez’s voters.
Psychology Today also notes the other side of identifying with a favorite. Research by Snyder, Lassegard and Ford, published in 1986, described “cutting off reflected failure,” or CORFing: distancing oneself from a group after it loses, in contrast with emphasizing a connection when it succeeds. The article applies that idea to fans who may be invested in their favorite contestants’ progress. It does not establish that Rodriguez’s supporters have behaved this way.
“Just like everybody else, I’m obsessed with you.”
— Derek Hough, Dancing With the Stars judge
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Votes, Scores and Claims of Rigging
The account does not give the audience vote totals, the voting rules for the episode, or enough information to compare Rodriguez’s support with that of other contestants. It reports that fan votes kept him in the competition, but the exact margin and the relative effect of judges’ scores and viewer votes are not stated.
Some viewers reportedly accused the show of being rigged, but Psychology Today presents no evidence to substantiate that claim. It is also unclear how much of Rodriguez’s support comes from BIRG, sympathy for an underdog, his existing television audience, or other reasons. The psychological account is an interpretation, not a definitive explanation of individual votes.
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The Next Results Will Test His Momentum
Rodriguez and Carson’s next performances and the audience vote will show whether their momentum continues. The article frames a possible run toward the show’s mirror-ball trophy as an open question; it does not establish that they will reach the final or win. Future episodes may also show whether judges’ scores, viewer support, or both prove decisive in the competition.
For now, the confirmed development is narrower: despite a low score for the Samba described in the article, Rodriguez remained in the contest after viewers voted. Whether that support persists—and what most motivates it—remains to be seen.
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Key Questions
Why is Guillermo Rodriguez getting attention on Dancing With the Stars?
Psychology Today points to his existing audience from Jimmy Kimmel’s show, his self-deprecating manner and his underdog status as a less technically accomplished dancer who continues to advance.
What does “basking in reflected glory” mean?
BIRG describes the positive feeling people may get from associating themselves with a person or group that succeeds. Psychology Today offers it as one possible explanation for some fans’ support of Rodriguez.
Did Rodriguez receive a high score for his Samba?
No. Psychology Today reports that Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 13 out of 30 for the Samba, but audience votes kept them in the competition for another week.
Is there evidence that Dancing With the Stars was rigged?
The article says some viewers made rigging accusations, but it provides no evidence supporting them. The allegation should not be treated as established fact.
Will Rodriguez win the competition?
That is unknown. The article describes his continued progress as unexpected but does not establish how far he will advance or whether he will win.
Source: psychologytoday.com
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