Matthew Broderick and Letterman fumblingly discuss the parental sex talk

David Letterman and Matthew Broderick talk about &quot;the talk&quot; — (Image credit: Late Show)

David Letterman's son is too young for "the talk," but Matthew Broderick's son isn't. On Tuesday night's Late Show, Letterman asked the graying actor if he'd talked about sex with his son, and Broderick said no, "that hasn't come up yet." Letterman called him out, and Broderick fessed up: "They teach them so much at school — you know, I go to him for advice. It's all changed since we were coming up."

Letterman wasn't buying it, and what follows, surprisingly, is an interesting discussion about the pros and cons of parents explaining sex to their children. "I want to do the best I can, and I feel that as a parent, whether I botch it or not, I'm at least obligated to try," Letterman said. The conversation got a little awkward at times — but that's probably good practice if these two men try to follow their own advice. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.