The host of Film Theory explores the infamous episode of Seinfeld where Susan dies from licking envelopes. He delves into the history of envelope adhesives and discovers that in the 1950s, polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) was used, which contained trace elements of heavy metals like arsenic. However, after calculating the amount of arsenic required to kill someone and considering the FDA's safety standards, the host concludes that it's highly unlikely Susan died from licking envelopes. The amount of arsenic required to be fatal would be 1,000 times higher than the acceptable level today, and even if she licked a million envelopes, it would still take her 34 days to ingest a lethal dose. The host ultimately debunks the show's plot, saying it's not possible to be poisoned by licking conventional envelopes.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Seinfeld is widely considered to be the best sitcom of all time.
2. Jason Alexander, the actor who played George Costanza on Seinfeld, appeared on the Howard Stern show to talk about his character.
3. In the season 7 finale of Seinfeld, George's fiancée Susan dies after licking wedding invitation envelopes.
4. The envelopes were old and had been discontinued for several years.
5. The envelopes were cheap and had a non-adhesive glue.
6. Polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) was a common adhesive used in the manufacture of envelopes during the 1950s.
7. PVAC contains trace elements, including heavy metals like arsenic.
8. Arsenic is a toxic substance that can be fatal in large quantities.
9. The FDA did not regulate non-traditional food items, such as stamps and envelopes, until 1968 or 1973.
10. The invitations that Susan licked would have been unregulated and untested for arsenic levels.
11. The amount of arsenic in the envelopes would have been too small to be fatal, even if Susan had licked all 200 envelopes.
12. According to the FDA, the acceptable amount of arsenic in lickable adhesives is set to three parts per million.
13. It would be impossible for Susan to have died from licking conventional envelopes, even with all the tongue paper cuts.
Note: These facts are extracted from the text and do not include any opinions or speculations.