Desert island jokes are jokes about a person or group of people stranded on a desert island. This setting is typically used to play on stereotypes of the people present. This may refer to their profession, religion or nationality, or the people involved may be famous figures. The island setting highlights the absurdity of the stereotypical behaviour and prejudices of the protagonists, suggesting that they will find a way to express their own particular foibles even in a hostile setting.

This setting is also popular in cartoons.^[1] Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker attributes the strips, which began appearing in the publication in the 1930s, to the popularity of Robinson Crusoe. He describes earlier cartoons as having a large island with a ship sinking in the distance, and later cartoons merely showing one or two people on a tiny island with a single palm tree.^[1]

Example

A Scottish Presbyterian is rescued after many years on a desert island. As he stands on the deck of the rescuing vessel, the captain says to him,
"I thought you were stranded alone. How come I can see three huts on the beach?"
"Well," replies the castaway, "that one there is my house and that one there is where I go to church."
"And the third one?" asks the skipper.
"Oh, that's my old church."