I wasn't aware that TED was declining in quality. I haven't really paid attention. Anything besides that one viral video that would indicate them "throwing in the towel"?
Here's another from the homepage right now: http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everyt... Come on, this didn't teach me anything but it's the "fluff" direction that TED is going in.
There have been more "human condition" pieces of late. When they first started it was more to do with Technology Education and Design. They advent of TED-X has brought some good and bad in to the fold. There was a post on Hubski a while back that chronicled a bit of it. I'll see what I can find.
Now that you pointed it out, it does seem like the recent talks have been less technical and more about human interests. Maybe this is because TED is gaining popularity and appealing to the lowest common denominator. But to call it a meme-hosting website seems a bit extreme.
The top video on TEDs home page right now is How a Fly Flies by Michael Dickinson. It's a really nice talk that I definitely recommend. Just wanted to prove that I'm not 100% jaded :)