As countless tributes have noted, a good chunk of David Letterman’s legacy can be attributed to his conflicted, ironic, and often caustic comedy. But there’s also a warm, sensitive lining to that persona, one that’s never more apparent than in Letterman’s frequent and hilarious conversations with children.
As part of his Late Show finale, the host aired a montage of some of those conversations—a condensed 33 years of moments in which kids teach Letterman about science, bemoan the struggles of their social lives, or plainly state that he’s “not funny.”
