No they are definitely a shitcoin. Just because they pass as a valid txn doesn’t we all have to embrace them. Casey found a way to exploit an aspect of the protocol for his own personal pet project and it’s ultimately hurting bitcoin by consuming a tremendous amount block space for non-bitcoin txns. Blockspace that people of the world need for far more important reasons than dickpick jpegs. Let’s not forget what satoshi was fighting for. Ordinals are bad for bitcoin. 
Discussion
Just because it can be used for more than a peer to peer cash system does not diminish it's use as such. You are on a crusade against something that hardly effects Bitcoin at all. All I see is a more robust fee market. People spending money in any way they feel they want to. That's freedom to transact. Just because you don't like the transactions doesn't make them invalid. It's not for you to decide.
I never said you had to embrace them. Just ignore them. I fail to see how it affects you or Bitcoin at all.
They ARE Bitcoin transactions. Sorry you don't like them but wanting to censor what other people can spend their Bitcoin on makes you the one in the wrong here.