As season 14 of American Idol premiered, I remembered times when I maneuvered my schedule, saving the 7:00 to 8:00 spot clear of homework and other futile errands to watch undiscovered talent with Randy, Paula and Simon.

In the mid-2000s, back when American Idol actually created idols, nothing stopped this dominating singing competition. From watching Simon spread his not-so-constructive criticism in the same neutral colored shirts, to admiring Randy Jackson’s undeniable Hollywood swag, the show served as more than a healthy contest, but also as viewer entertainment. I didn’t forget about Ms. Abdul either. Eccentric yet genuine, she knew a Hollywood-bound star from an amateur by the first couple of notes.

Fast forward to 2015 and I’m not surprised that it’s been years since I’ve watched my once favorite show. A change in judges resulted in a huge drop of viewers, including me. The show ultimately started its crash.

When the dynamic trio of judges left The Idol, executives scrambled to find alternatives—some decent, some unexplainable. Over the past seasons, American Idol has hosted several different judges such as Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Steven Tyler. Its current judges are Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Henry Connick, Jr. This constant switch in judges makes the show inconsistent. When Idol hired judges who had barely seen 5 years of being a well-known artist (Nicki Minaj), contestants couldn’t expect proper feedback from a well-seasoned entertainer. A decrease in judging skill can also lead to a drop in the talent brought to the show.

Contestants simply have not had the same artistic ability as previous years. Surely there were a couple of mind-blowing auditions that left you in awe. But for the most part, American Idol is now a home to majorly mediocre talent, forcing the judges to golden tickets to questionable singers.  Perhaps it’s been this way for a while. The last American Idol winner that I remember making it big in Hollywood was the season 6 winner Jordin Sparks. It’s like some winners never even competed.

Other competition isn’t a factor either. Other singing competitions such as The Voice have nearly the same amount of viewers.

It’s clear that American Idol has reached a breaking point. With low competition and poor judging, the show is as tired and simple as Simon Cowell’s old grey shirts.