A popular HBO comedy series shed some spotlight on Qatar this week, but it got more than a few details wrong.
The Emmy-winning American series Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, the former vice president and president of the United States, sent its characters to Doha in its most recent episode.
While the show didn't fail on bringing laughs, many in Qatar were quick to point out the blatant and sometimes bizarre factual errors.
Exhibit A: This is the internationally acclaimed Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), not a palace
In the comedic episode, Meyer travels to Doha and ends up sleeping with the fictional Qatari ambassador to the U.S., named Jaffar. An image of the MIA stars as Jaffar's palace.
In reality, the museum has been acclaimed internationally for its unique architectural design as well as its impressive collection of Islamic art.
Situated on Doha's picturesque corniche, the MIA has become one of Qatar's most iconic attractions, holding a collection of Islamic artwork spanning three continents and 1,400 years of history.
In 2015, the museum was even shortlisted by the Leading Cultural Destinations Awards 2015, considered the "Oscars for museums."
Exhibit B: Ambassador Jaffar? Really?
As Doha News points out, Jaffar is not even a common name in Qatar.
So, why did Veep's creators pick the name most Americans readily associate with the villain from the popular Disney film Aladdin to represent Qatar's emissary to the U.S.? Poor taste, it seems.
Qatar's real ambassador is Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad Al Thani, who formerly served as the nation's emissary to France.
Exhibit C: Stoning isn't a punishment in Qatar, and birth control is fine
The morning after sleeping with Jaffar, Meyers wonders how she can ask for a "morning after pill" in Arabic.
She concludes: "It’s probably a stoning. Which would also do the trick."
There are several problems with this attempt at humor. First, birth control is readily available in Qatar, as Doha News reports. Also, as the majority of Qatar's residents are actually foreigners, asking for the pill in English would be perfectly acceptable. And lastly, stoning is NOT a real punishment in Qatar.
Why does it matter?
Western television and film routinely portray Arab and Muslim countries as backward, uncivilized and as dangerous. These negative stereotypes are perpetuated over and over in American media, creating an oversimplified and inaccurate picture of the region.
"Sadly people believe what they see on TV and it just perpetuates the stereotype," Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon, co-founder of ILoveQatar.net told Doha News when asked about the recent episode of Veep.
"[It] doesn’t do this part of the world any favors," he said.