I just wrote a free verse parody and was shocked at how easily it was done. I do a bit of free verse the odd time but only when it's something really compelling and it takes me ages. Downright shocked, I was, that if the mood struck me and I wasn't as self disciplined I could churn out free verse almost at will; without even consulting my brain; I could just let my hand write arse drivel. This now makes it clear to me why so many "new talents" use free verse. It's cool because it's easy, because there are no rules, because there is no selective word choice, because there is no attention to detail, because it's easy to ignore the sound of the word, because awkward fanciful words that barely exist can make you seem rather quite clever, because classical references that have quite probably been googled can be made, and no-one will know you have no idea who the mythical name you try to drop carelessly actually is, because even the most emotophobic (yes a made up word very post-modern of me) of topics can become listless and therefore somehow interesting, etc. etc. It makes it fairly easy.
If free verse is used correctly then it becomes challenging (correct use of end words, stop lines, stress openings, alliteration, imagery that doesn't involve either a flower or blood) and because these a not "fixed" to the form they are widely overlooked and therefore never used.
In conclusion free verse when done well is very well; when done badly is very bad.