'Idol' returns and so do the insults

“American Idol” returned Tuesday with a fourth judge and Ryan Seacrest trying to high-five a blind contestant.

I’m still unsure what to make of Kara DioGuardi as a judge. She seems to be more Paula than Simon – nurturing at times but not afraid to say that she can do better.

DioGuardi, a songwriter and Duke graduate, does have a killer voice. So when a contestant delivers a less than stellar version of a song, she can show them up.

Last night, DioGuardi slammed a bikini-clad contestant, who performed Mariah Carey’s "Vision of Love." It was a vocal duel that DioGuardi clearly won. The contestant moved to the next round but not after a few jabs from the female judges.

Some of you may not know that not all contestants get to sing in front of the main judges. To get to Randy, Paula, Simon and Kara, contestants have to survive several rounds before producers/other judges.

It appears producers pick the best and worst from those groups to make it to the final audition before the TV cameras and the opinionated judges. This may be why some of the contestants look surprised when the judges slam them.

Here’s the highs and lows from the Phoenix, Ariz. auditions:

• Ryan Seacrest attempted to give a high-five to blind contestant Scott Macintyre. That would have been the highlight of the night, had it not been for the 23-year-old's audition. He is a very talented singer-songwriter with an equally great voice. He’s no Clay Aiken, but he is one to watch. MacIntyre was born almost completely blind, except for a small amount of tunnel vision – similar to looking through a straw. Check out Scott's audition below:

• “Bikini Girl” Katrina Darrell auditioned in a tiny swimsuit and high heels. Her voice is OK, but not good enough to survive Hollywood. I think shock value got her to the next round.

• Horror filmmaker Cody Sheldon, a pint-sized Pete Wentz complete with guyliner, performed his way to Hollywood. He has a nice voice, but it doesn't seem strong enough to survive the rigors of the next round.

• Contestant to watch: Emily Hughes, the tattooed girl who plans to leave her rock band for the chance at being the new Idol.

• The meanest thing said: Paula told deep-voiced contestant Elijah Scarlett that he should try doing voice-over work for movies that have "monsters."

What did you think of last night’s episode?