Why are crossword puzzles today so lame?

Crossword puzzles used to be a test of one's vocabulary, with the clues being relatively straightforward -- except for an occasional pun. Today, the answers are often slang, brand names, "alternate" spellings, and multiple words -- and it's the clues that are tricky, so one sort of has to guess at what word(s) the author had in mind for the answer. Obviously I'm not a fan of this "new wave": but I'd like to know if there's a logical reason for the trend.