Deadline recently ran the headline “Guillermo Rodriguez is finally getting his moment”. The Jimmy Kimmel sidekick, dancing with pro partner Witney Carson, has been the unexpected hit of the current season of Dancing With The Stars. Why all of a sudden are so many people Guillermo fans? A psychological phenomenon called ‘BIRG’ may be part of the answer.
The Appeal of the Underdog
Rodriguez’ appeal is not new – he became a “celebrity” when he went from quirky security guard to quirky onstage sidekick for Jimmy Kimmel, so he already had a fan base. Fans have appreciated his ability not to take himself too seriously and to “be himself”. Guillermo seems real at a time when we are all struggling to figure out what’s not real on a daily basis, making authenticity important.
He is also willing to be vulnerable in admitting when he’s not that good at something. The comments on the Deadline article included appreciation for his lack of pretense, one stating “The world needs more Guillermos and especially now!” Guillermo’s initial success in spite of an admitted lack of dancing prowess may have only made him more appealing to many fans. (He pulled open his shirt after one dance to reveal “Dancing 4 The People” written on his chest as an acknowledgement that it’s the fans’ passion and not his dancing skills that are responsible.) At a time when many people are feeling like it’s harder and harder to succeed in an increasingly stressful world, watching the underdog persevere and make it to the next episode has inspired many viewers.
Success Feels Good, Even When It’s Not Ours
Still, Rodriguez’ continuing success was unexpected, since the other dancers are more skilled. What explains the outpouring of support that’s keeping him on the show?
One explanation is simply that he IS successful, leading to others hoping to vicariously experience that success. There’s a psychological phenomenon that explains that called “Basking in reflected glory” or “BIRG”. BIRG is a term coined by social psychologist Robert Cialdini in the 70s to describe that feeling fans experience when their favorite wins – a rush of emotion that feels like they have won too even when they played no part at all in that success.
Cialdini found that proclaiming yourself a fan of someone who’s on a winning streak, like Guillermo is right now, enhances the fan’s positive image and self esteem. BIRG is a form of impression management, something we all do to show off our best qualities and create a positive public image, in this case by emphasizing a connection to a successful person.
The BIRG phenomenon is responsible for the proliferation of everything from tee shirts to bumper stickers to celebrity-inspired hair styles that announce that someone is a fan of a celebrity or team that’s having a moment. When that person or team is winning, everyone wants to be their fan. In fact, so many fans are “basking in the reflected glory” of Guillermo’s initial success that they have continued voting in large enough numbers to keep him in the competition. Even the show’s judges seem to be BIRGing. “Just like everybody else,” judge Derek Hough said, “I’m obsessed with you.” Bruno Tonioli added, “I understand why you’re becoming a national obsession.”
The show’s official Instagram posted “We couldn’t be more obsessed with Guillermo and Witney’s Samba” after the most recent episode aired. In spite of very low scores from the judges (a 13 out of 30 for that Samba), so many fans voted for Rodriguez and Carson that they will be returning once again.
The Flip Side of BIRG
Of course, the opposite is also true. Identifying so strongly with a celebrity or band or sports team that you experience a vicarious sense of success when they are “winning” means that when they are not winning, that can be painful. Research shows that fans try to distance themselves from those failures by “cutting off reflected failure” or “CORFing”. In other words, it’s “we won” but “they lost”. As difficult as that might be for a celebrity to swallow, for fans that strategy protects their self esteem and positive self image.
It also means that wanting to avoid those painful feelings leaves fans highly motivated to keep their favorites winning – and to sometimes attack anyone who might be perceived as a threat to that success. Other DWTS contestants have their own fans, and some of those fans worry that their favorites will be sent home so Guillermo can stay. There have been accusations of the show being rigged to try to prevent that outcome, with viewers posting on the show’s Instagram that “He needs to go home, that is not dancing!!!”
But Guillermo fans show no signs of giving up, voting in large numbers to keep his success – and their basking in his reflected glory – going a while longer. All the way to the mirror ball? I guess we’ll see just how compelling BIRG can be!
